Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable
by Melodist
Summary: Complete! A drunk and seemingly insane woman somehow manages to find herself in the company of four large, intelligent turtles. Is it just another hallucination, or could these creatures actually be real?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles or Splinter, or even April and Casey (Should they happen to pop up in this fic). I wish I did though. The only characters I own so far in this fic are Devon and Austin.

_Authors notes can be found at the bottom of the fic._

_Voiceover:_

If someone had asked me a year ago of possible places I'd see myself today, standing in sewage down in the tunnels beneath New York City at midnight wouldn't have been on the list. Well, I take that back. It's possible that some random part of my brain might have pulled that image up and blurted it out just because it was funny and would annoy the person asking the question. I've always been like that. The sarcastic answer wins out over the honest truth most of the time. But my POINT is that I wouldn't have seriously thought I'd be here. Ankle-deep in the bowels of New York. Or bowel movements of New York, if you want to get disgustingly accurate. I'm quite sure there's a broken pipe somewhere around here, and if I was a decent citizen, I'd notify the city engineers about it so they could get their lazy butts down here and fix it.

But alas, I am not that decent of a citizen. Besides, they might get curious and ask me what I was doing down here. And it's really hard to make "My dead brother told me to hide down here and I was too drunk to object" sound like a good excuse. Honestly, folks. You'd think "Hey, there's 24-hour convenience store around the corner!", or maybe "That church across the street will give you sanctuary!" would have been better suggestions. But no, he had to point down the open manhole with the "Danger" and "Construction Zone" signs and say "Down there! They won't find you down there!"

I love my brother. Don't get me wrong. But sometimes he can be a real pain in the ass. Every once in a while I wish he had a physical form just so I could beat the shit out him. At least it would prove to me that he's real, and not just a figment of my imagination. Sometimes I worry. It's not normal to see dead people. But Devon has been visiting me all my life, so it doesn't seem unusual in my perspective. However, it's not a subject I like to bring up over casual conversation. "Hi! My name is Austin! Yah, I know it's a boy's name. Blame my mother. How about that weather we're having? My dead brother thinks you're really cute."

Yah. That doesn't tend to go over very well with people.

So back to my original point. Sewers. New York. Midnight. Why, oh why, didn't I take a cab home? _It's only 8 blocks_, I thought. _This is a good part of town_, I thought. _Two beers wouldn't affect my ability to think straight_, I thought. Obviously, I thought wrong. (And the two beers turned into four, which was a REALLY bad idea on my part… The AMF after that hadn't helped much either.) The punks who jumped me couldn't have been more than two years into high school. 15-years old and already mugging helpless women for drug money. It's a sad day in New York when a grown woman can't kick the ass of two skinny pot-heads. But to be honest, I was drunk from the alcohol. So when they grabbed for my purse, I shrieked like the helpless girl I was, dropped it, and ran. Or stumbled, depending on how you look at it. They must have been pissed when they discovered all I had in there was some lipstick and a couple tampons. I'm not stupid. When I go out to the bar, I only take my picture ID, and some cash. And I keep them in my pocket. Paranoid, yes. Stupid, no.

So, apparently they realized that two super-absorbency tampons wouldn't buy them very much pot, because they started chasing me. And right about then, Devon showed up. And in that smart-ass manner of his, shook his head and told me he can't leave me alone for more than five minutes without me getting into some trouble. (But in all honestly, HE'S the one who's caused me nothing but trouble my entire LIFE… but I didn't think it polite to bring that up right at the moment.)

Well, he guided me down an alley, and pointed to the open manhole. And in my moment of drunken confusion, I hauled ass down into the sewers after my dear, dead brother. It's moments like that when I realize that maybe all those doctors were right when they told me that if I just ignored Devon, he would go away. That if I proved to myself that I didn't need to hang on to the memory of him, he would vanish, and I would be alone with myself and happier for it. It hadn't worked so far, and Devon was still as real as he ever was, and only I could see him. And thanks to him, I was going down into a shit-smelling hell. I suppose it could have been worse. I could have been naked.

That's one of my own personal beliefs. No matter how bad the situation, things could ALWAYS get worse. …. You could end up naked. I think I'll stitch that on a pillow someday.

ANYWAY. Sewers. New York. Midnight. And to top it all off, gigantic talking turtles. Oh. Did I forget to mention that part? They seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see them. I suppose it's not everyday a drunk, seemingly delirious woman drops down the ladder right on top of them as they're trying to climb up. Considering my hand-eye coordination was on temporary hiatus, and I'd missed the third rung down on the ladder with my foot, it's a damn good thing they WERE there. Otherwise I'd have probably broken my neck from the fall. I let out a rather undignified groan as I hit the first one, and then continued to topple down and hit the second one. I landed on the third. My ass was going to be sore in the morning. And a small part of me felt bad that whoever I landed on was going to be even sorer than me. There was a sharp pain in my head, and I wasn't sure if it was from the fall or from the liquor.

There was a groan from below and then I heard, "Jesus Christ, lady, ever heard of a diet?" I should have been offended. But at that moment, I thought it was incredibly funny. I started giggling. I was laying on my back, on top of something hard, staring up at two creatures coming down the ladder that I could only assume were turtles, by the looks of them. One was rubbing his head, the other his shoulder, and a fourth one was peering down at me from somewhere on my left. All three were looking at me like I was insane.

Mentally, I was picturing what just happened, and realized it would have been absolutely hilarious to have witnessed. I wished I had been standing down here when I fell, so I could have seen myself and laughed and called myself a dumbass. I have weird thoughts when I'm drunk.

A hand was clasped over my mouth suddenly and it made me want to laugh even harder. I heard a whispered "Shut up!" from beneath me, and then from above, the voices of the two punks who'd jumped me. There was a quick, disorienting movement and I found myself pulled up against the wall, out of the small bit of light that shone down through the manhole. From what I could hear from the street above, the kids were arguing over whether or not to follow me down. They probably thought I'd killed myself from the fall and didn't want to be caught trying to rob a dead woman in the sewers. But I wasn't worried about that right now. My mind was concentrating on the arms holding me back against the wall. One hand was still wrapped around my mouth. The other was around my torso.

_Two inches higher and he'd be molesting me_, I thought. A snort escaped my nose and I almost cried, I was laughing so hard. _Help, help! I'm being molested by a giant turtle!_ That's even better than the dead brother thing. God, I hoped I didn't pee my pants. There's nothing more embarrassing than peeing your pants while being molested by a giant turtle. Although… I'd had a pet turtle when I was younger, and he'd pee'd on me a couple times. Maybe this was some sort of karmic chance I'd been given to even the score. In the end, it was probably for the best that I didn't take the chance.

We stood like that for a few moments, until the voices faded away to nothing, and then the arms released me. I stumbled forward, and somehow managed to grab hold of the ladder to steady myself. The giggles were finally dying down, and I heard another voice to my left. "Holy shit, Austin! Are you ok?"

Devon was staring at me with a shocked expression on his pale, shimmering face. Behind him… or rather.. _through_ him, I could see one of the turtle creatures with his hand raised, in an almost peaceful gesture. I grinned and raised my hand to match his, giggled again, and said, "I come in peace!"

"Uhh….", One of them said.

"She's nuts!"

"Nah, she's drunk."

"Austin!"

"Lady, you ok?"

"She's bleeding.. we need to get her some help."

The smile died on my face as I looked at them and I reached my hand to my forehead. That sharp pain in my forehead hadn't been the liquor wearing off…

"Dammit, Austin, we need to get you to a doctor!"

Blood. It was dark, and black in the dimly lit tunnels. I stared at my fingers. They were coated with it. A small voice in my head told me it really wasn't that bad. Head wounds always bleed a lot. Just a little blood. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to get upset over. But I'd never been able to handle blood. Ever since Jimmy Tenner's 6th birthday party… Two of the things that I can't stand… blood and birthday cake. But that's a story for another day.

The voices of the creatures and Devon started to fade. Everything around me started to become strangely dark. All I could see was the ink-black blood on my fingers. The hand that was gripping the ladder started to slip. As my body pitched forward into the blackness, the last thing I remembered was Devon shouting my name, and then, nothing.

**Authors Notes:** Ok, this is my first TMNT fic, and I'm trying very very hard for Austin to not be a Mary Sue. If she starts to lean towardsMary Sue-dom, please feel free to ride my ass and let me know that I need to start changing things. Criticism is appreciated. I apologize for any inconsistencies or grammar errors ahead of time. I don't have a beta at this time, and so I have to rely on the hand-dandy word-check on Microsoft Word. ...Did you know that it doesn't recognize "dumbass" as a word? Hehe, I fixed that little oversight.

Melodist


	2. Who is she?

**Disclaimer:** Don't own the Turtles. I do own Devon and Austin

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 1**

Leo sat at the kitchen table, a cup of white tea in one hand, and a History of Eastern Religions book in the other. The book was open, but he wasn't really reading. The tea was cold, but he wasn't really drinking either. His thoughts were on the young woman passed out in the makeshift med room that took up part of Donatello's lab. It had been decided long ago, that they needed some sort of medical facility to take care of all the bumps, bruises, and concussions that happened to come their way. So, a white sheet sectioned off part of the lab, and in it was a nice, clean bed. And tonight, the nice clean bed held a bloodied drunk woman. This was not how his evening had been planned out.

He hated when things didn't go according to plan. He also hated when drunken women dropped into manholes directly above him. And he especially hated it when he was so distracted that he didn't _notice_ the drunken woman dropping down the manhole until her knee impacted his shoulder with enough force to almost knock him from the ladder. That was what it all boiled down to. He had been distracted. And he had Raphael to thank for that. Some inane dispute over which section of town to start patrolling in had caused him to lose focus, and not be as careful as he should have been. Still, it was a good thing they were there, otherwise the lady probably wouldn't be alive right now. It had been a nasty fall. Raph got the worst of it. The poor girl landed right on top of him. And a small, guilty part of Leo's mind found mild satisfaction in that.

From where they had been, the nearest hospital was almost 26 miles away. Their home had been less than 5. Logic won out, and they brought her home for Don to look at. She probably had a concussion, but until she woke up, little could be done to help her. He had wanted to take her home before she woke up. Most likely she would sleep it off, and wake up with a very large headache in the morning, and think that he and his brothers had just been a dream. Of course, they would have left a note, telling her to get to a real doctor as soon as possible. But he was slightly uncomfortable with the idea, since they didn't know how serious the injury to her head had been. And there was the fact that he had NO idea where she lived. She hadn't been carrying a purse, so the idea was pretty much nixed before it had even begun to take on real form.

They couldn't just dump her somewhere, unconscious, but it was also a bad idea to let her wake up down here, in their home. Yah, she'd seemed ok with the idea of four humanoid turtles… but she was drunk. When she sobered up, it might not be so pleasant. They'd been lucky so far with the humans they'd met. April was a true friend and ally. She had helped them out more times than could be counted. And Casey… well… Casey was a friend also. Even after these last couple years of knowing Casey, Leo still wasn't sure if his 'help' was really help or hindrance though. But his heart was in the right place.

But this girl? How would she react? He had no way of knowing until it happened, and he didn't know what the best course of action would be. God… he wished Master Splinter was here now. He'd only been gone for three weeks, and already things were falling apart. Mikey was more annoying than ever. Don was secluding himself in his lab. Raph was… well… Raph was being Raph.

_You picked a hell of a time to go on a vacation, Sensei..._ Leo thought to himself.

It had been the morning of their 18th birthdays. In an uncharacteristic show of early morning energy, Michelangelo was the first out of bed, running through the lair, yelling "Happy Birthday to me!" at the top of his lungs. Leonardo remembered it all too well. There had been the laughing and yelling and jumping around and an excited "PRESENTS!", and then silence. Followed shortly after by a shaky, "Leo…? I think you better see this…"

On the coffee table, sat four brightly wrapped packages. Blue, red, orange, and purple wrapping paper. And with them, a letter.

_My sons,_

_These gifts are only small tokens of my love for you on this day. My real gift to you, though, is that I will not be here when you wake up. I have spent the last 18 years teaching you, and watching you grow into four whom I am proud to call my sons. Now, it is time for you to be on your own. Do not worry, I won't be gone forever. This is as much a gift to you as it is to me. There are many things I wished to have done, and places to have seen. Consider this a well earned vacation for a tired, old rat. I trust you all to have the maturity, and responsibility to take care of yourselves, and each other while I am gone. I love you very much, and will be home soon. _

_-Splinter_

_P.S. Try not to trash the place too badly while I'm away. _

And just like that, their master was gone, and Leo was left in charge. And he had no clue as to what to do with the woman lying passed out in Don's lab. All they could do was wait until she woke up, and take it one step at a time.

"Hey Leo. Good news. I found her ID." Raph interrupted his thoughts by pulling a chair out from the table, smoothly spinning it around and straddling it. One arm rested on the chair back, the other reached out, flipping a driver's license onto the table. "It was in her back pocket."

Calmly closing his book and placing it on the table top, Leonardo picked up the ID not taking his gaze from Raphael. "Do I even want to know what your hand was doing in her back pocket?"

"Looking for her ID, of course." There wasn't an ounce of shame in his grin, and Leo sighed, finally looking down at the card. "It's out-of-state and expired. I don't think we're gonna get her home anytime soon."

The California license in his hand seemed to mock Leo. They now knew who she was, but hell if he knew how they were going to get her home. Was she visiting? Did she live here? A student, maybe? "Austin Bridger…" he muttered to himself.

"Don's already looking her up on the computer."

Leo stood and stretched, picking up the ID. He might as well go see if Donny had found anything yet. He heard Raph get up and follow, and the two of them made their way to the lab.

Except for the bright glow of the computer screen directly in front of their brother, the lights were off. The curtain was open between his work area and the med lab, and Leonardo could just make out the still form of Austin on the bed. The white bandage wrapped around her forehead seemed almost to shine in comparison to her dark clothes, and he didn't envy her one bit the headache she would have when she woke up.

"Find anything yet?" Leo asked softly. He knew his voice probably wouldn't wake the girl up, but habits die hard, and the presence of an unknown human so close made him cautious.

"Well…" Don started. "I've found something… it looks like our girl here was a runaway. She was listed as actively missing up until four years ago when she turned eighteen. Then her name was removed from the list… Oh, that's interesting…" He scrolled down the page, then clicked to another screen. His finger danced over the keys faster than Leo could follow.

"What's interesting?", asked Raph impatiently after a few moments.

"Huh?" Don asked, scrolling down through a couple more web pages.

"Hello, Earth to Donny. _What's_ interesting?" Raph lightly rapped him on the head.

"Hey! Sorry, sorry, I was just reading." Don batted his brother's hand away, slightly annoyed. "I found a news article with her name in it archived on a page for a paper in Washington."

"D.C?" asked Leo.

"No, the state." Donny pointed at the screen. "See, right there. It looks like she has a brother who… oh…"

"Oh?"

"Well… she _had_ a brother… but he's dead now… Oh, here's something else... Hmmm. That's interesting…"

"Donny, if you say that one more time…."

Don grunted in annoyance but continued. "It looks like she ran away from a boarding school. That's what the article talks about… I don't know. It's kind of vague. There was a fire at the school, and she left with some of the other students… the police were looking for them. That must be when she was listed as a runaway."

"Did she set the fire?" Leo asked, slightly concerned.

"No, I don't think so. The article said they were pretty sure it was another one of the students, and they were questioning his family. I haven't been able to find any record of Austin after the fire though. Give me some time. I'll be able to dig something up." He yawned and looked at the clock on his monitor screen. "Not tonight though. Despite popular belief, even I need to sleep at some point. And I'd rather do it now, while I'm sure she—" He motioned back towards the med lab "—won't wake up. She's going to be out for at least a few hours. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't wake up until late morning."

Leo nodded and gave the sleeping girl a last look. "We should all rest while we can. Tomorrow's going to be interesting, to say the least."

**Author's Notes:** Ok, I'm sorry this chapter is so short. This was originally intended to be Chapter 2, and Chapter 1 was going to be flashback. Then I decided to scrap Chapter 1, because it was slowing me down, and I just couldn't say what I wanted to be said. I'll re-work it and fit it into a later chapter. I have a lot of background planned out for Austin, which will also be approached in later chapters. Now. To start work on Chapter 3, where we jump back into Austin's head and find out what her waking thoughts are. And from here on out, I hope to make the chapters longer.

Updates won't be coming very often in the next two weeks though. I'm preparing for a RenFaire in the first week of May, and have yet to finish a dress for my roommate. I picked a bad time to start a new fic. Oh well. At least I'm planning it out in my head for now.

**Notes to my Reviewers: **

**Dierdre: **Thankyou very much for the wonderful review. I was a bit nervous putting my fic out there after so many years of lurking. You're going to find that Austin is just as flaky and sarcastic when she's sober as when she's drunk. Many years of having only dead people as companions will do that do you. -grins-

**kaya lizzie:** I'm glad my story made you laugh! I re-read it and edited it so many times I wasn't sure if all the little humorous bits I put in were still funny. It's hard being your own editor. The next chapter will feature even more of Austin's somewhat 'random' insights, so I hope you'll enjoy them as well.

**reinbeauchaser:** Thanks for the e-mail! It helps to know that even if people can't leave reviews, they're still enjoying my story. I hope I won't disappoint with upcoming chapters!

**Sassyblondexoxo**: -grins happily- I'm glad you made an exception for my fic. All these wonderful reviews are really building my confidence that yes, in fact, I can write a story the people might actually enjoy. And as for the dead brother thing. ;) He's got a whole backstory with Austin that will be explained in later chapters. It's not all pleasant, and some of it might get down right dark and angsty. But the present-time chapters will help to lighten up the more depressing flashbacks. Oh, and don't worry. I won't be leaving the TMNT fandom anytime soon. They're an obsession that's been around long before any of my other favorites. True 80's child, right here. Turtle Power!


	3. Praying To The Porcelain God

**Disclaimer:** I wish I owned the Turtles. I don't, though. This is very sad to me. Austin and Devon are mine though And Bill and his wife. And Susan.

**Before the fic Author's Notes:**I've decided to change the rating on this to T, because I don't think it has any real M material in it yet. If I do decide to go a little darker/mature, I'll change the rating later on. But for now, I think T is an acceptable rating. Especially considering what they allow on public TV now-a-days…

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 2**

_Italics _are Austin's thoughts/flashback

* * *

"_You're a freak! A goddamn freak and you're no son of mine!" Their father's voice rang through the house. If little Austin wasn't already awake, it would have been loud enough to jolt her from her slumber. But as it was, she was peering silently down the stairs, huddled in the corner where the wall met the railing. She had been waiting quietly for her brother to come home. He'd been gone a lot lately, but had promised he'd be home to see her tonight. The voices from downstairs had told her that Devon was home, but she was scared to go see him. Their father was shouting, and that was never good. Mother was standing on the bottom step gripping the railing. Her white knuckles stood out like ivory against the dark cherry wood._

"_Are you kicking me out? Is that what this is, Dad? Are you going to do to me what you did to Susan!" Devon stood a solid foot taller than his father, but lacked the weight and muscle built by long years of hard labor. His grey eyes flashed and he swept his long dark blond hair out of his face. _

"_Don't you DARE mention that name in my house! She left on her own, and good riddance! You and she have been nothing but trouble the last few years!" Bill Bridger raised a fist as if to strike, but a gasp from his wife stilled his arm. "I never brought up my children like this. I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, but you better straighten yourself out if you want to be a part of this family!" _

"_There's nothing to 'straighten out', Dad. I am who I am, and nothing you say or do is going to change that!" _

"I didn't raise you to be a… a...", the word seemed to die on his tongue, but the anger was evident in Bill's face.

"_Maybe it's not me, dad! Maybe it's YOU. You think Sue and I were just going to fit into those pretty little packages that you and mom wanted? Well you were wrong. You drove Sue away, and now you're doing the same to me, just because we weren't the perfect children you dreamed of. And God help me, I'm not going to let you do that to Aust—"_

_Bill's fist cut off anything else his son might have said. There was a shriek from the petite woman on the stairs and she ran forward a few steps, but was stopped before reaching her son. Bill held an arm out, preventing her from going to the young man now sprawled out on the linoleum in front of the door. Upstairs, little Austin gasped and scooted away from the railing quickly. She had never seen her father hit anyone before, and it scared her beyond belief. If he could hit Devon, would he hit her too? Maybe he'd be angry she was watching the argument when she was supposed to be sleeping. Maybe he'd come upstairs and…_

"_So that's it, then…" Devon's quiet voice echoed through the silence. "Fine. You want me gone, I'm gone. You'll never see me again."_

_NO, screamed Austin silently. No, you can't leave me! Please don't leave me! But her words went unsaid, and she scooted back further, until she was just inside the hallway where no one could see. She scrambled up off the floor and ran quickly down the plush carpet, her footsteps making no noise. Practically vaulting herself into bed, she pulled the covers down over her face and closed her eyes. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe if she just stayed here in bed, Devon would come in and kiss her goodnight, and everything would be fine. Daddy wouldn't have hit him, and things were going to be okay, just like they had been. Things would be okay. Nothing was wrong, and everything would be okay… _

_She repeated those words to herself until at last she fell asleep, her pillow wet with tears. It was an uneasy sleep, and when a hand touched her arm just a few hours later, she woke in a panic. _

"Easy, Munchie. Easy. It's just me." Devon whispered softly. He slowly smiled, smoothing over his little sister's tangled brown curls. A light breeze blew in from the open window next to her bed.

_She gasped and threw her arms around him. "You didn't leave!"_

"_Shhhhh, we need to be quiet. Mom and dad don't know I'm here. I came in through the window, Munchie." Her eyes widened. He came in through the window? How? Devon saw her looking wonderingly at the window and explained. "I climbed the tree. Mom and dad locked me out, but I climbed up the tree to come see you. I'm going away, but I want you to come with me, ok?"_

_Austin blinked at him in a sleepy confusion. It was the middle of the night. Where could he want to go? "I'm not supposed to go outside when it's dark…" was all she could think to say._

"_I know, Austin, but this is important. I'm leaving, and I'm never coming back. Mom and Dad don't want me here, so I'm going. Do you want to come with me?" He smiled and Austin could just barely see a dark bruise forming on the side of his cheek. Daddy really had hit him... What if Daddy wanted to hit her too?_

_She nodded her head and reached out to him. "I want to go…" she said quietly. "Don't leave me, Devon…"_

_With a smile he picked her up. "Good. I already packed your bag." He leaned down and picked up her little red backpack. "We need to be quiet though. I don't want to take you out on the tree, so we'll have to go out the front door." He adjusted her slightly on his hip and peeked out her door down the dark hallway. "Let's go, Munchie. Let's get out of here." _

* * *

"C'mon, Munchie… wake up!" Oh god, he was calling me Munchie again. He knows I hate that nickname. When I was little, I'd thought it was adorable. Now it was just annoying. 

"Go away." I mumbled. Although, my face was buried in a pillow and I had the hangover from hell, so it came out as "Guuu nawwaaaaah". And when I say hangover from hell, I really do mean that. It felt as if the devil himself were tap dancing on my brain with spiked golf shoes. Not the most pleasant way to wake up in the morning.

God, what had I drunk last night? I rolled over onto my back, and was immediately sorry. The tap dancing turned into an all out chorus line, and I groaned miserably, putting a hand to my forehead and cursing the cute guy who'd bought me that last drink. At least, I think it was the cute guy. I really couldn't remember. Maybe a not-so-cute guy had bought me something more and I'd just conveniently forgotten.

"Austin… Austin, wake up! Listen, I gotta go! You're going to be fine. These guys are ok. I was listening to them, they won't hurt you. But I need to get out of here for a bit. I'll try to be back soon, ok? Just _don't panic_."

I moaned a "whatever", and opened my eyes just in time to see Devon's shimmering form disappear into nothingness. He was always doing that. "I've got somewhere I need to be." Bullshit. He's a freakin' ghost. Where the hell does he have to be that's more important than with me?

My eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, and I could make out cracked brick ceiling directly above me. Brick. Ok, that was interesting. I live in an apartment building with stucco ceilings. So… either someone redecorated while I was out… or I'm not at home. What was it that Devon had said? I wracked my brain trying to remember what had preceded 'don't panic' and came after "I gotta go!" Damn. Why hadn't I paid attention? Please, oh please, let it be the home of the cute guy. That meant I had some fun last night, even if I couldn't _remember_ it. If it was the not-so-cute guy though… at least I couldn't remember it. There's always a plus side.

I rubbed my head gently with my hand, and was rather surprised when I came across a bandage of some sort. Ouch. And a sore spot above my left eye. _The hell?_ I bolted upright in bed, which turned out to be one of the stupidest things ever done in the history of mankind. The room started spinning, and the pain increased tenfold in my head.

"Dumb, dumb, dumb!" I chastised myself and grasped the sides of my head, clenching my eyes shut. _God, I'm an idiot…_

"Hey… uh… are you ok?" I jerked my head up at the sound, and opened my eyes. There was a giant green blob standing a few feet away from me. Giant green… turtle?

In a moment of astounding clarity, the events of the previous night seemed to unfold in my mind. Bar. Cute Guy. Drinks. Cute Guy ditches me for Gorgeous Girl. Walking home alone. Robbed. Dead Brother. Manhole. Turtles. Blood.

"Oh god…" I stumbled out of the bed clutching my stomach.

"Hey! Don't get out of bed ye—"

"I'm gonna be sick." I stated it so matter-of-factly that it took the turtle a moment to catch on.

"You're wha--…. Oh.. Oh!" With startling speed, he rushed over and grabbed my arm, pulling me past a white sheet and out a door. "Bathroom. This way."

Half of me was still trying to grasp the concept of a human-sized talking turtle. The other half of me heard the word 'bathroom', and decided to push all other thoughts out of my head. I stumbled along, willing myself to not throw up all over this nice turtle-man who was helping me to a toilet. I idly wondered if he was going to hold my hair for me too. Nice guys do that.

In just a few seconds, the turtle was pushing open a door, and guiding me to the shining white porcelain beauty that seemed so inviting at the moment. I hugged that baby for all it was worth, and when I was done, I was mildly satisfied to note that yes, indeed, he had pulled my hair back from my face, and was still half supporting my weight with his arm. He was a nice turtle-guy after all. Well, Devon _had_ told me not to panic.

Right at the time I was reaching up to flush the unwanted contents of my stomach down the toilet, I realized there was someone showering not more than three feet away from me. There was a sudden cry from the shower when the surge of cold water came pouring through the pipes, and a gruff voice yelling, "Goddammit, Mikey, I told you that isn't funn—…" He paused and I looked up to see another green face peering out at me from the side of the shower. "Oh."

"Hi…" I waved weakly and rested my forehead on the rim of the toilet, ignoring the pain that went shooting through my head.

"Can you stand up?" The one kneeling next to me asked softly.

"I'll get up and dance the hula for you, if you can make my headache go away…" I muttered.

"Um… I can get you some aspirin. That's about it."

"If that's all I get, then you'll have to help me up."

A hand patted my arm gently. I looked at it with interest. Three fingers. Hmm. Why not? "I'll go get some. You stay right here in case you feel sick again."

I could sense him standing up and turning to go, when the voice from the shower stopped him. "Uh, Don? I'm trying to shower here."

Don apparently wasn't that concerned. "Yah, I'll be back soon, Raph. Make sure she doesn't move too much while I'm gone." And he left.

"Right…" The turtle glared at me for a second, then closed the curtain and went back to his showering. Thank god he didn't sing in the shower. I don't think my head could have handled that right now. The falling drops of water already sounded like Niagara Falls to my sensitive hearing.

Don was back in just a few minutes with a glass of water and some aspirin. He helped stand me up and let me rinse my mouth before downing the aspirin. God, I hoped it would help dull the pain. If not then I was going to… well… have to deal with the pain. But I wouldn't be happy about it. As he was helping me back toward the direction of the wonderfully soft bed I'd just vacated, two more turtles met us along the way. Good lord. How was I going to keep them all straight? Don. I could remember that. The one in the shower… what had he been called? Ralph? ….that's a silly name for a turtle. Although I wasn't one to speak. Mine had been named Mr. FluffyButt. I was four. It seemed like a good name at the time.

"Hi!" One of them said rather cheerfully. I hated cheerful people. At least… I hated them when they were cheerful, and I was feeling like I'd been shit out of a rhino's ass and drug across a desert wasteland before being painfully dropped back into my bed. Yah. I wasn't in a good mood, but it probably wasn't polite to show it, since Don had been rather nice to me so far. "I'm Michelangelo! But you can call me Mikey."

"Michelangelo…?" I asked warily. "Love your work. The chapel thing was awesome." I noticed that 'Mikey' was wearing an orange bandana around his eyes, with which he was now giving me a slightly confused glance. The one next to him was wearing a blue bandana, and turning to look at Don, I could see his was purple. Hmm. It looked like they must have trouble telling each other apart too. The one in the shower was naked. Looks like I'd have to wait to see what color he wore.

"My name is Leonardo." Said the one in blue, interrupting my thoughts. I stared at him for a moment then looked back to Don, something clicking in my still foggy brain.

"Don. Donatello, by some chance?" He grinned and nodded. Great. I was surrounded by giant artistic turtles. Even _my_ mind wasn't screwed up enough to think of this on it's own. So either these giant turtles were actually real… or someone slipped something into my drink and I'm majorly tripping. I'm not quite sure which it was, but I was leaning towards the drugs. Devon said 'don't panic.' He had better get his dead non-corporeal ass back here soon.

"And you're Austin Bridger..?" Leonardo asked carefully.

_Damn. How'd he know my name?_ I reached for my back pocket, but before I could even get my hand behind me, the blue-clad turtle in front of me held out my driver's license. "That's mine." I said dumbly. _Oh, way to go. Show them how bright you are._ I stretched my hand out and took it from him, staring at it blankly before sticking it back in my pocket. "Yah… I'm Austin."

Leonardo nodded slowly and pointed to a couch a few feet away. "Why don't we sit down and talk?" I hadn't noticed it until now, but we were standing in a sort-of living room. Brick walls all around, just like in the room where I'd woken up. The couch was an interesting shade of periwinkle with stains from god knows what, and a multicolored throw over the back. I liked it instantly. It looked nice and comfortable and well-used. …It looked like my couch. In fact, it looked better than my couch. _Damn. These turtles have nicer stuff than I do. That's messed up._ I must have been staring at the couch like I'd never seen one before, because Leonardo waved his hand in front of me when I didn't answer. "Austin?"

"Uh…." I blinked away the fuzziness that had started to cloud my vision and looked over at him. "Yah. Talk. I can talk." _Yes, Austin's brilliant vocabulary strikes again._

"You probably have some questions about us. We'll answer them as best we can."

Donatello led me to the couch, and sat me down on one end. I curled up with my feet under me, hugged one of the lime green throw pillows to my chest, and stared at them with rather wide eyes. I imagined that I looked kind of creepy, all bug-eyed and shit, but they'd just have to deal. I'd had a rough night. And today wasn't shaping up to be any better.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes:** I know I didn't come outright and say why Bill Bridger disowned his son, but I think that it can be figured out from the hints. If not, then I'll just come out and say it right now. Devon is/was gay. As for Susan, her story will be re-visited later on in another flashback, seeing as how it directly affects Austin. And that's all I'll say about that for right now.

This story was originally just going to be a few chapters. But now as it's going along, I'm finding more and more that it looks like it may very well turn into a novel-length story. We'll see how things go. One step at a time. Hope you all enjoyed, and will want to tune in for more!

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**_Sassyblondexoxo:_ **_A RenFaire (Renaissance Faire), is kind of what it sounds like. Bunches of people getting together, dressing in medieval/period clothing, and having fun. There's lots of booths for people to sell crafts like jewelry and weapons, paintings, chainmail, all sorts of cool stuff. And there's lots of food, and dancing and singing. Some faires have archery contests, and jousting tournaments and the like. It's hella-fun. The one I'm attending will be at the coast, and my roommates and I are dressing the part. Or… well.. my roommates are. Unless I get a dress finished, and something made for myself, I'll be attending as their anachronistically displaced friend (i.e. time traveling companion). –grin- _

_Anyway, thanks for the review, again. As I stated way up above, I've decided to change my story to a T rating for now, because there really isn't much M content. Yet. I just wanted to play on the safe side, but if I carry things into the darker more adult realm, I'll change it back in the future. I hope you enjoyed Austin's little waking up scene, and there should be more in the next week or so! _

_**Dierdre:** Here you go. More story to drool over. –happy smile- This is my longest chapter so far, and honestly, it took the least amount of time to write. It just kind of flowed out, and seemed to work just the way I wanted it to. Hopefully the future chapters will be as easy to write!_


	4. Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

**Disclaimer:** I wish I owned the Turtles. I don't, though. This is very sad to me. Austin and Devon are mine though.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **Just for future reference, I'm sort of combining the different turtle-verses here. The basic history is the same. Mutagen plus baby turtles equals large green ninjas. The Shredder is human, not Utron (In fact, no Utrons in my story). Unfortunately, he's still alive and kicking, in my universe. And extremely pissed. The turtles have experienced dimension hopping, time-travel, and all that fun stuff, so they're no strangers to weird and wacky. The Purple Dragons are still street thugs that the Foot do their recruiting from. Hun does not exist, because no man should be THAT freakin' big. April and Casey live together above the Second Time Around shop, but are not married. And she never was a reporter. My universe is a beautiful amalgam of the insane and bizarre. But y'all could probably have figured that out on your own…

Oh yah. And there be some strong language toward the end of the chapter. Some f-this and f-that. Just to warn you.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 3**

_Italics _Austin's thoughts

* * *

"Wow…" An hour later, I still sat cross-legged hugging the pillow to my chest. I absently picked at the fringe on the side while I stared at the amazing creatures in front of me. Their story was fascinating. But then, why wouldn't it be? Glowing ooze, mutations, giant rats, and talking ninja turtles. They could make a fortune by selling their story to some movie producer. Of course… then they'd probably be dissected and studied. And that would really suck. 

"You can understand our need for secrecy, Austin." Leo told me gravely, as if reading my mind. "If we were exposed to the public, the consequences would be unfathomable."

_Unfathomable_, I thought to myself. _Who uses words like that?_

He continued, shifting his weight uneasily in his chair. "This is an uncomfortable position for us to be. We obviously don't know much about you, so-"

"So you can't trust me." I finished for him quietly. I sighed and finally released my choke hold on the pillow, setting it in my lap. This day was getting better and better. What the hell were they going to do with me if they didn't trust me?

"Don't think of it like that, Austin. It's just that… well…" Don seemed to fumble for the words, but the red-clad turtle that had joined us fresh from the shower butted in.

"You're right. We don't trust you."

"Raph!" Mikey looked offended and patted my knee from where he sat next to me. "I trust you, Austin!" He gave me a mischievous grin and I prayed to god that this giant turtle didn't have a crush on me. That would be just my luck. I attract all the weirdos. It takes one to know one though, I suppose.

"Don't misunderstand us, Austin. We want to trust you." Leo looked apologetically at me. "But things just aren't that simple."

"I understand…" And the sad thing was I wasn't just saying that. I honestly understood. Living my entire life with a secret of my own that kept me from being close to anybody… yah. I completely understood. "So… what are you going to do with me?"

Leo sighed and looked to his brothers in turn. "We're not going to hold you prisoner, Austin. We'll take you home at any time you wish. All we want is your word that you won't reveal us to anyone. It's all we can ask from you right now."

I swallowed hard and looked to each of the turtles. All they wanted was my word? It had been a very long time since anyone had put that much faith in me. And I could feel from the intense looks, that they would hold me to it. There was no backing out of this. And to be honest, I had no intentions of betraying them. I mean… they'd already saved my life. It wasn't polite to stab the back of the man…er… turtle… that had saved your life. I nodded once and stood carefully, making my decision. My head was still throbbing, but not quite the jack hammering pain that it had been only an hour ago. Leo stood also from his chair across from me and I reached out my hand cautiously.

"You have my word, Leonardo." He hesitated only a moment seeming to gauge my quick acceptance, before taking my hand, gentle but firm. As his eyes locked with mine, I had the uncomfortable feeling like he could see into my soul. I felt naked beneath his gaze, and it took all the willpower I could muster to keep my eyes on his. It lasted for only a second, yet seemed to take ages to end. And then, just like that, he smiled and nodded. _What the hell was that?_, I wondered, smiling nervously.

"I hope that we can become friends in time, Austin."

Friends. How long had it been since someone had said something like that to me? I didn't have friends. I had acquaintances. People I knew. But a real friend? I hadn't had one of those since I was thirteen. I didn't let anyone near me, not close enough so that they could see how screwed up I really was. I had learned so long ago that Devon was the only friend I really needed. Nobody else gave a shit about me. I had made it this far on my own, and I didn't need anyone to help me along in the future. So what the hell was I thinking when I smiled and said,"I'd like that."

"Yah, that's all warm and fuzzy and great, but I got a question." Raphael, as I'd learned his full name was, slumped back into the other end of the couch crossing his arms over his… chest…? I was going to need to brush up on turtle anatomy. Is that what it was called on him? I suppose shell would work until I figured out what to call it. "You don't seem too upset by all this." He gestured to himself and their home. "Most humans freak out, but you didn't even do a double-take. Barely batted an eyelash." The contempt was layered so think I could practically see it. Wow. This guy didn't like me. …But I HAD landed on him. 150 pounds crashing down through a manhole on top of someone could make them not like you. And I know I'm not fat. Just a little curvy. But I'm certainly not muscular or lithe. I idly wondered if he'd like me better if I was small and petite and had thrown my arms around him yelling, 'My savior!' and laid kisses all over his face. He'd probably hit me if I tried it now. And judging from the well-muscled arms, I didn't want to be hit by him. Hell, I didn't want to be hit by anyone.

"I _did_ throw up." I pointed out.

"Yah, I remember." He glared at me and I wanted to smack myself. Ok, so I'd be pissed at someone too if they flushed a toilet on me while I was in the shower. That's never fun. I just wasn't making any points with Raph, and it didn't look like I would in the future either. That's ok. I was used to people ignoring me, hating me, or just not caring that I existed.

I sat back gingerly on the couch, my head a bit tingly from standing up. "Look, I still haven't convinced myself that I'm not suffering from a drug induced hallucination. But for now I'll just tell you I've seen some freaky shit in my life, and there isn't much left in the world that can faze me." Good lord, they didn't know the half of it. Devon was only the start of the bizarre things that had found me throughout my life. Most of it I wasn't sure had really happened or if I'd imagined it, but I was sure Devon was to blame. If it hadn't been for him I wouldn't have ended up at that damn institution, and met all those other freaky kids… but that's a story for another day, like so many of my stories.

Raph narrowed his eyes at me, as if he could look more pissed. "C'mon Raph, lay off for a bit." Mikey turned back to me and grinned again. "You've heard our story, now tell us about you! What kind of music do you listen to? Movies? Hey, do you like video games? I've got a PS2 just begging for some 2-player action!" I stared blankly at him. One turtle wanted to beat the shit outta me, the other wanted to read my personals ad. Ok, so I was exaggerating on both counts. But still. There was quite a drastic difference between the two brothers.

"Actually…" Donatello's voice drew my gaze away to where he was seated off to my right. "I think Austin should rest for a while." Did I look that tired? Probably. I felt like I hadn't slept in days. Maybe the aspirin was finally starting to work. "If you're up to it, I'd say we should get you to the hospital… you really need a doctor to look at yo—"

"No!" An ice cold spike of fear slammed into brain. At the word 'hospital' my eyes had flown wide open and I started shaking my head. "No, no doctors. No hospitals." I tried to hide the suddenly frantic tone in my voice, but failed miserably. Don was visibly shocked, but the concern was still in his eyes.

"Austin, you hit your head very badly…"

"No doctors!" My voice cracked a bit, and I wondered if I looked as panicked as I felt. A sudden flow of blood pounded in my ears and I started physically shaking. They wouldn't force me to go, would they? They wouldn't… the turtles couldn't be that cruel… I hated them; Doctors, I mean. I was terrified of them. They always said they were your friend. They always said they wanted to help. And then they turned around and stabbed you in the back. Literally. With a needle and a sedative, and you woke to find yourself strapped naked to a table with four balding liver spotted scientists leaning over you studying you like an insect and taking notes on how many moles you had on your left leg and what shape they were and if it had any significant impact on your mental abilities. And that was on a pleasant day. …I've had bad experiences with doctors. Very bad.

Donatello reached a hand toward me and I tensed in fright. He immediately stopped, his hand frozen still. I was ready to bolt, and he could sense it. All four of them could. I didn't want to, but it was an involuntary reaction. If Raphael wanted a terrified woman screaming and running away, he was about to get it. It wasn't their fault, and a small hidden part of my brain knew that. They had no idea what had happened to me in my past, or that I couldn't even walk within two blocks of a clinic without getting breaking into a cold sweat. The fear that had started to seep into my mind was now flooding my entire body, and any sudden movement or noise would send me into panic. They wouldn't take me to a hospital… they just wouldn't… I didn't like blood, but I wasn't _scared_ of it. I wasn't scared of much. Spiders, snakes, bugs, chainsaw wielding maniacs. When I was sober and in good mind I could handle just about anything. But Don had to bring up the one thing that could send me into a blind uncontrollable terror just by talking about it. I didn't know where I'd go. I could see a couple doors, but I didn't know if they were exits. Not that it mattered. I'd run and run and run, and if I found a way blocked, I'd turn and keep running, plowing down anyone who was in my way, human or turtle. I wouldn't stop until I dropped from exhaustion or until I was dead, but I wouldn't go to a hospital. Never again.

The silence in the room was deafening, and the tension had skyrocketed. I was a bomb ready to go off. But how to defuse me? The turtles obviously didn't know, because no one moved. The only thing I could hear was blood pounding through my head.

_SLAM!_ The sound of the door seemed to snap something in my brain and I was off the couch, running to god knows where. I tripped, but caught myself. I couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything. The fear had seized my body and was acting of its own will. Adrenaline poured through my veins, giving me an unearthly speed and grace. I dodged, ducked, and ran, my instincts on fire. I passed something that made a sound. Was it a scream? A woman's voice? Was it mine? I didn't know. There was a door directly ahead, and there were shouts from behind, muffled by the blood pumping in my ears. I was out the door and there were no more obstacles. All I could make out was open ground, straight and solid but blurred by fear. Something wet was hitting my face. Tears? Possibly. I was free. I was away. That was all I knew. That I was too fast and they wouldn't catch me. Of course, like always, I was proved wrong.

There was a green blur from my left, and it felt like an elephant had decided to play soccer with my soft fragile body. We hit the ground and rolled a couple times, and there was a flash of pain and thousands of dancing lights in my head. The impact seemed to jar my senses and reason finally came back to my head. Well… as much reason as can be expected from someone like me.

"NO!" I screamed. "No doctors! No doctors!" I struggled and kicked and tried to twist out of his grip, but it did very little good. I was hysterical. I was pushed down on my back one hand pinned above my head. The other was grabbing desperately at the shell of the turtle on top of me, but a firm grip on my wrist held it in place. Let it never be said that these guys weren't strong. Or heavy. I didn't know which one it was, and I didn't care. I struggled more, but my screams were growing quieter, turning into whimpers and moans and choking sobs. I was tired. God, I was so tired, but I was scared shitless. And where the hell was Devon?

"Austin, calm down! Please, calm down! No doctors, I got it." Don's voice. I think. It seemed so far away, and I was still trying to escape.

"No doctors…" I was crying. The fight died in me when realized I couldn't go anywhere and I relaxed underneath whoever was on top of me. "Please, Don… no doctors…" My words ended in a whisper, and I closed my eyes hoping to still the tears flowing so freely.

There was a gentle touch on my head and I knew it was Don. He was feeling the bandage on my brow, probably to make sure it was still securely in place after the tussle. "Let her up, Raph." His voice was quiet, and in command.

"The hell I will. She'll run again."

"No she won't. Look at her, she's exhausted. You didn't need to tackle her like that. You probably did more damage to her head." There was a hint of anger in his voice and I had to bite back a bitter laugh. More damage? Unlikely. My mind came about as fucked up as you can get. I was just extremely good at hiding it. Well... until someone mentioned doctors or hospitals.

"Raph." Leonardo's voice from somewhere. "Let her go." There was a soft growl and a moment of hesitation, before he finally complied.

"Fucking psycho…" He muttered as he pulled away from me.

"You don't know the half of it." I choked out, tears still fresh on my face. Rolling onto my side away from Don, I curled up into a tight ball. I needed help. I knew it. I've always known it. But somehow when Devon is around, he convinces me I'm really ok. I don't need help, it's just everyone else that's crazy. He's the one who grounds me. I can handle things better when he's here to help me. Why the hell wasn't he here right now? I felt a hand touch my shoulder and I wanted to scream at Donatello to leave me alone. But I couldn't. Because as much as I hated to admit it, it had been a long time since someone had shown concern for me. Don wasn't even human, but he seemed to care more than most people I've met. I wanted them to just leave me there. Leave me curled up in a sewer somewhere, and never think about me again. And another part of me was scared to death that they'd do just that. But who was I to them? Just some drunken psycho who was inconveniencing their lives. I couldn't handle this on my own. I needed Devon. God, Devon, please get back soon.

Strong arms picked me up. I fought them for only a moment before giving in to the embrace. My eyes still closed, still crying, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. I was a mess. How the hell had I let it get this far?

"C'mon, Austin. Let's get you back inside."

I could only nod weakly and hope my brother would return soon. He'd know what to do. He always did.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes:** Wow. –rereads what she just wrote- …wow. I let that get much much darker than it was originally intended. Not very much funny stuff happening in this chapter, but it's hard to make a mental breakdown seem funny. Austin has spent most of her life avoiding personal contact, and fighting the stuff that's happened to her in her past. On a normal, sane day, she'd get nervous and slightly anxious if anyone mentioned doctors. But the drunken night, bump to the head, and surreal surroundings she's found herself in caused something in her mind to just snap. Had Devon been there, he might have been able to head it off before it happened… but.. alas, he was off elsewhere. Is it wrong that I find satisfaction in putting my characters through hell? Probably. But I'm going to keep doing it. Austin will come out a better person for it by the end of the story. Or she'll be dead. Who knows? Even I don't know how this story will end. It writes itself. I am just the messenger. –smile- 

Oh, and this is not, I repeat NOT going to end up as a DonRomance! fic. It's just that he recognizes that there's something seriously wrong with Austin's mental state, and is trying to be as gentle as possible until he figures out what's going on. And Raph is turning out to be much more of an ass then I originally intended. I'm going to have to do something about that. I don't hate Raph. He's my favorite turtle. Maybe I'll have to write in a cute little Mary Sue for him to boink as an apology.

**Note to my Reviewers:**

**hazlov2004:** Thanks! Glad you liked it!

**BubblyShell22:** Thanks for the review! As for Austin revealing her 'secret'… she's got many of them. The dead brother thing being only one of her issues. I'm sure at some point the turtles will find out. It just wouldn't be a good story if they didn't. –grin-

**Lioness-Goddess:** I was hoping the gay thing wasn't too subtle. I'm glad you got it. Poor Devon. But at least he got his little sister out of that environment. …for a while at least….. –thunder and lightening and evil laughter in the background-.

**Dierdre:** Your plea has been heard, and thus I grant you… the next chapter! Hehe. Again, thanks for the wonderful review. Most of the flashbacks in this fic are going to be really depressing. I'll try to slip a few nice ones in though. There's going to be a flashback involving the 'blood and birthday cake' scene… and I'm trying to decide if it's going to be horrifically disgusting and tragic… or a bit lighthearted and just semi-gross. It's a tough decision.

**CrimsonCat:** Yah, Bill Bridger has his own issues to deal with. Seeing as how two of his children have turned away from their families now, he's probably determined to make sure Austin grows up to be what he wants her to be. …Unfortunately, there's that little issue of Devon stealing her away. I wonder how he's going to react to that? Not good, would be my guess. –evil smile-

**Isis-Lament: **Yep, this is my first TMNT fic! Hopefully I'll manage to keep the guys in character through the whole thing. It's a real challenge, but I'm up to it!

**kaya lizzie:** Most of this stuff I just pull randomly from my head as the fic is going along. The shower scene was really fun to write. I had two original ideas for that. One would be Mikey, the other was Raph. I eventually decided it would be more fun to piss off Raph. Austin just can't seem to get on his good side, can she? Poor girl. Sorry this chapter got kind dark, but hopefully next one will lighten up a lot with the return of Devon.


	5. Blood and Birthday Cake

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin, Devon, and Jason, and everyone who lives on Terrace Blvd. is mine though. Wheeeeeee.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **Muahahaha! The chapter you've all been waiting for! Austin has an orgy with all four tur--… uh… I mean… wait. Sorry, that was my own private chapter that will never see the light of day. So don't even ask. Forget I said anything. What I meant was… You, the readers, finally find out how Devon dies! … just a warning, it isn't pretty. No turtles in this chapter, but there will be lots and lots of turtles in the next chapter. My flashback lasted a little too long, and if I don't post what I have, you readers won't get any more until Wednesday at the earliest. So enjoy.

_Fun fact_: Austin's birthday is June 15th. I think I'll try to add one little fun fact every chapter. You know, things that don't really impact the story, but are nice to know. If I remember, that is.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 4**

_Italics _Austin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

"_Austin! Hey, Austin!" _

_The little curly haired girl looked up from where she was laying on her floor. Crayons were spread out in a semicircle off to her right side, divided by color. Reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and so on. Jason had told her she was 'anal', but she didn't know what that meant. It must mean she liked color coding things. Cause she did that a lot. Right now, though, she was coloring a picture to give to Devon to hang on their fridge. On the bottom of the picture was written in large sloppy letters, 'My Family'. There was a little crayon figure Devon, a crayon figure Jason, and a crayon figure Austin. And they stood in front of a little crayon house next to the big crayon sea. Ok, so they didn't really live RIGHT next to the sea, but it was within a ten minute drive. Austin liked living with Devon and Jason. They were nice and never fought and never hit anyone._

_It had been a long car ride two summers ago. Devon had taken her from her parent's house and they'd gotten into a station wagon packed full of boxes. Jason, her brother's friend, was in the driver's seat, and he grinned at Austin and ruffled her hair and asked if she was ready. With a smile, she clutched her little stuffed dog and nodded. "Off we go, then!" _

_She was too excited to sleep. It was the middle of the night, and she was in a car with Devon and Jason! When she'd asked where they were going, Devon told her simply, "California." California. Wow… that was a long ways away. At least she thought it was. _

"_Where's California?" _

"_It's on the other side of the United States, Munchie. It's going to take us a while to drive there. We'll have to stay at a couple hotels along the way, but I think you'll like it when we get there. Jason has a house by the ocean and we're going to live with him." Devon had smiled and beeped her nose. "You and me, Munchie. We're going to be together forever."_

_But it wasn't Devon or Jason calling her name now. It was Jimmy from next door. "Hey, Austin, you there?" _

_She could just barely see the top of his head from out her bedroom window and she grinned and jumped up off the floor. She ran the few steps over to the cushioned window seat, hopped up, and leaned out. A cool summer breeze flowed in and she could smell the salty sea air of the Pacific Ocean. Little Jimmy Tenner's smiling face beamed up at her. "Hey, Jimmy, what's up?"_

"_You're coming to my birthday party tomorrow, aren't you, Austin? I'm turning six, you know!" The proud look on his face made Austin giggle and she nodded. _

"_I'll be there! Devon's coming too, but Jason has to work." Jimmy's face fell just a bit, but he was still smiling. _

"_That's ok. As long as you're there." Devon and Jason were like big brothers to Jimmy. His mom was divorced, and his dad wasn't supposed to come around to see him. They'd become like a second family for Jimmy and his mother, Alice. In fact, this whole neighborhood was like a second family. Austin knew all the adults by name, and all the kids along the street played at each other's houses regularly. It was nothing like where she had lived before. The kids ranged from the youngest (Jimmy) being five, almost six, to the oldest (Sally Thompson) being 15. And all of them would be at the party tomorrow. It was going to be a lot of fun. Austin, herself, had just turned seven the month before, and the party had been huge. _

"_Definitely." She smiled and Jimmy turned to go._

"_I gotta get back before mom finds me gone. See you tomorrow!" He ran off toward his back porch then gave Austin a last wave before running inside._

_With a cheery smile and a skip in her step, Austin left her bedroom with the crayon picture in hand, to show her brother and Jason._

_-_

_The party was certainly just that. A party. Loud screaming children running around a beautifully decorated backyard. There were games, food, drinks, party favors, every kid's dream birthday. Presents were piled high on a table, just begging to be torn open. The sun was shining down on the lovely little coastal home, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. There was an underlying current of excitement, as the kids all waited for what they knew was coming soon. _

_The birthday cake. This wasn't just any birthday cake. This was a homemade, melt-in-your mouth, velvety dark chocolate beauty with hazelnut cream frosting, made by Terrace Blvd.'s very own Trisha Bailey. Trisha was a pastry chef at one of the finest five-star restaurants in the city, and a living legend on their block. She made birthday cakes for every child on the street, every year, every party. No cake was ever the same. Austin's cake had been a white chocolate tiered, with fresh strawberries and sugar sculpted butterflies. Jimmy's cake promised to be an absolute delicacy as well, with little white, milk, and dark chocolate leaves decorating the edges. _

_One of the boys at the party had accidentally spilled his punch on Austin, so she was missing out on the current game of Tag in the yard. Instead, she was in the bathroom trying to rinse the blue stain out of her t-shirt. She was failing. With a sigh, she turned off the water and rung out the small spot down at the bottom of her shirt. It would just have to stay. She didn't want to miss the cake, so she'd better hurry. When she came out of the bathroom, everyone was still outside playing. Except for Alice. And… who was that? Voices coming from the kitchen. Jimmy's dad? What was his name… Gary… Grant? Austin couldn't remember. But she knew he wasn't supposed to be here. _

"_What the hell do you think you're doing, Grady?" Ah, Grady. That was his name. _

"_I came to see my boy, Alice. And you ain't gonna stop me this time!"_

"_You're drunk, Grady. Get the hell out of my house, before I call the police! Don't ruin the party for Jimmy!" Austin was cautiously peeking into the kitchen now. Alice and her ex were standing on either side of the marbled island, the birthday cake sitting on a crystal platter directly between them. Grady was a large man. Much larger than Devon or Jason. And he smelled bad too. His dark greasy hair hung in a limp ponytail halfway down the back of his t-shirt that at some point in its existence had probably been white. There was mud all over his torn jeans, and he looked like he hadn't showered in two weeks. What should she do? Should she go get Devon? Devon would know what to do. She turned and fled down the hall, unnoticed by either of the adults, until she came to the back door. _

"_Devon!" she shouted. He turned his attention from the game of Tag, and walked over to her smiling. _

"_What's up, Munchie?" _

_She pointed back at the house. "Jimmy's dad is here and Alice told him to leave, but he won't!"_

_Devon's eyes narrowed and he patted her on the shoulder. "Stay here, Austin. I'll take care of this. Hey, Fred!" He gestured to the only other adult at the party. "Watch the kids for me, would you? I need to go take care of a small problem. Make sure they don't come inside."_

"_Hey, what's up man?" Fred looked at him quizzically. _

"_Grady." Devon mouthed and pointed toward the house. "I'll be back soon." _

_Fred nodded with understanding. It wasn't the first time one of them had to 'escort' Grady out of the house. Normally police threats were all that was needed. "Call if you need me." He turned back to the rambunctious game in front of him, but Austin didn't join in. She waited until Devon had gone inside, then quietly followed. It wasn't that she wanted to disobey her brother, but she was a curious sort, and wanted to see what happened. As she walked down the small hall, she could just make out Devon's voice. _

"_C'mon Grady, why don't you just leave? Come back when you've sobered up a bit, and we can talk like civilized people, ok?" Devon didn't want him to come back at all, but at this point he'd say whatever he had to, to get him to leave._

"_What the hell do you know, you fucking queer? Don't tell me what to do!" Grady was pissed. Austin gasped at the bad words. "You ain't his father! I have a right to see my boy!"_

_Austin looked around the corner just in time to see Grady raise his fist at Devon, but Alice leapt forward and grabbed his arm. "No, Grady!" She was surprisingly strong for such a small woman. But not stronger than her ex-husband, unfortunately. She cried out in surprise when he yanked his arm free, then turning quicker than she or Devon could have anticipated, solidly punched her in the stomach._

"_You ass!" Devon yelled and jumped onto Grady's back, his arms around the man's neck while Alice crumbled to the floor, panting for breath. "Get outta here, Alice! Call the cops!" She somehow managed to stumble to her feet, and ran out the door on the other side of the kitchen, the one that led to the living room. _

_Grady however struggled to get the smaller, more agile man off his back. His elbow connected with the wooden knife block on the counter, knocking it over. Austin's eyes went wide as she watched him pick up the large carving knife. Her face was frozen in an expression of horror as Grady brought the knife up, cleanly slicing the forearm around his neck. _

"Fuck!" Devon hissed loudly and fell off him, cradling his now bleeding arm.

"_I told you not to tell me what to do!" Grady screamed and lunged at Devon, the knife in his hand making an ungraceful sweep right across Devon's abdomen. Austin couldn't move. She hadn't seen the blow; Devon's back was to her. But she'd seen the sun glinting off the blade, and she'd seen the aftereffects. The drops of blood flying from the knife as Grady waved it around manically would be burned into her memory forever. She watched as a spray of blood, as bright red as rubies against the ivory of the frosting, dripped down the side of the beautiful cake. _

_Grady lunged once more, knocking the younger man to the ground and landing on top of him. He shouted incoherently and time seemed to slow for Austin. She could see the knife coming down. She could see it, but couldn't do anything to stop it. This was all a bad dream. It must be. This wasn't happening. If she closed her eyes… But it was happening. There was hardly a sound as the sharp steel was buried in her brother's chest._

_Austin screamed. The sound seemed to snap Grady out of his homicidal rage. He blinked, looking up at the little girl in the doorway of the kitchen, then looked down at the face of the man dying beneath him. With a cry of surprise and fear, he jumped back, horrified at what he'd just done. As Austin ran to her brother, Grady ran from the kitchen. She slid to a halt, practically throwing her self on the bleeding form of her brother. "DEVON!" She cried and clutched at his shirt. There was so much blood…And the knife…_

"_Austin…" His voice was soft and raspy, and there was blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. "Austin..."  
_

"_Devon…?" She whispered, panic and fear in her eyes. _

"_I'm sorry, Austin…" She could feel blood starting to seep into the knees of her jeans from where it was pooling on the floor. There was so much... it was coming from everywhere. "Stupid of me…" _

_Austin shook her head and bit her lip to keep from sobbing. _

"_Didn't think…" _

"_Devon?" She whispered again. _

"_Love you Munchie… I'm sorry…" He lifted a finger and gently wiped away a tear from her face, leaving a bloody streak on her face. "I'm sorry..."_

* * *

"Shit! I'm sorry, Austin! Are you awake?" I pulled the covers up over my head in a response. "What happened? What'd I miss? Have you met them yet?" God he was a persistent little ass. 

"Leave me the fuck alone." I mumbled through the blanket.

"It's ok, I already checked, they won't hear you. We can talk. They're all in another room. Practicing or something. Shit, you should see it Austin. They're like… martial artists or something. Cool huh?"

"Astounding."

"C'mon, don't be like that. You know I can't stay with you all the time. I had to be somewhere else."

I yanked the covers down and glared at him. The pale gleam of his translucent skin was all I could see in the darkness. Donatello had been nice enough to tuck me back in bed, close the curtain, and leave all the lights off in his lab. I was supposed to be resting. I think I'd only been here for about fifteen minutes before Devon had decided to pop back in. "Bullshit."

He sighed. "We've been through this, Austin."

"You _left_ me! You fucking left me down here with a concussion, in the care of four giant turtles! What was more important than staying here to help me?" I hissed in a hushed tone. I didn't care if he thought they couldn't hear, I wasn't taking any chances.

"They weren't going to hurt you! I was here the whole time you were unconscious. I listened to them talk, I knew they wouldn't hurt you."

"Hurt me? They wanted to take me to a hospital! A fucking hospital!"

"Yes, but they didn't." I really didn't have a response to that, so I just stuck my tongue out at him. He only grinned. "And I'm back now, so we can get out of here, ok? Once they go to sleep, we'll sneak out, how about that?"

"I don't need to _sneak_ out. They said they'd take me home when I was feeling better."

"Oh." He almost seemed disappointed. "Well, that's no fun. C'mon, let's sneak out anyway. You don't need them, Austin. You've got me."

"Yah, some help you were earlier. Go down the manhole, Austin! It'll be safe, Austin! If you fall and break your neck and die, we'll be ghosts together forever, Austin! Won't that be fun? What the hell were you thinking, Devon?" I was getting mad.

"Geez, lighten up. It was the first thing I saw! I'm sorry! And you didn't die. You're alive, and well, and let's just freakin' go home, ok?"

I rolled over, pulling the covers tight around me. "I'm going to sleep Devon. Stay if you want, but shut the hell up. I'm tired, and quite honestly would rather spend time with them, than with you." It was a bit harsh, I know. But I'd had a horrible day thanks to him. I don't know if he ended up staying or not. I was asleep in just a few minutes. If he was here, he was being quiet, and for that I was thankful.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes**: Just in case any of you are keeping track of ages here, Austin was_ almost_ five when Devon kidnapped her. I hate to use the term 'kidnap', but honestly, that's what he did. So she's been living with Devon, his boyfriend, and Mr. Fluffybutt for 2 years and 1 month approximately, which makes her just barely 7 in the flashback. 

Oh. And now you know why Austin doesn't like blood or birthday cake. I wouldn't either, if I was her.

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Sassyblondexoxo:** Glad you're still enjoying it! As for a Mary Sue for Raph… it's tempting. It'd probably end up being a self-insertion though… cause, well, Raph is hot. I'd do him. (If my cousin is reading this, that comment was just for you. Turtle-love, baby. You know you want it.)

**Mickis:** An update! Just for you! … and the others who asked for it to. –grin- I'm relieved that people like my story so much. I was a bit worried when I first started posting it. But I've gotten a lot of positive response. Hopefully my future chapters will earn me more points in your book!

**Pretender Fanatic: **Yah, I'll be nicer to Raph in future chapters, I promise. Thanks for the review! Ego-boosts are good. They keep me writing.

**fireandsun:** Thanks! I'll definitely keep writing. Austin and Devon just won't leave me alone.

**Kellie Fay**: Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter. But at least I know it leaves the readers wanting more. -grin-


	6. Painted On Jeans

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **

For those of you who just can't STAND to wait for the next chapter, I've created a LiveJournal to post update news, behind the scenes stuff, and anything related to the Misadventures Universe that I think might be interesting. It may also include short stories about Austin's past that aren't particularly relevant to the current storyline, and don't contain turtles. Anyone interested cango to my authorpage and there's a link to the LiveJournal there. The user name is **austinbridger**.

_FunFact:_The relationship between Devon and Jason began as such. Jason was a guest lecturer at Devon's college. They met, went out for dinner, had some drinks, and fell in love. Jason had a house in California, AND one in Ohio. He was a bit of a sugar-daddy. –grin- But very down-to-earth, and just a great guy all-around. Devon was 22, and Jason was 35 when they kidnapped Austin and took her to California. They'd been in a relationship for 2 years at that time.

* * *

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 5**

_Italics _Austin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

"_I don't want to go!"_

"_Honey, it's for the best. Dr. Adair can help you." _

"_I don't need help! There's nothing wrong with me!"  
_

"_Austin, we've gone to four different therapists in the last two years. They all say-"_

"_I don't CARE what they say. They're wrong! I'm not crazy!"_

_Austin's mother sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, willing away the headache she knew was coming on. "Your brother is dead, Austin." _

"_I know, I SAW it happen, Terri! Or have you forgotten already! Do you even care that he's gone?" At nine years old, Austin was surprisingly astute. She always seemed to know things that should have been beyond her maturity. Unfortunately, she was also surprisingly cynical, although her mother really couldn't blame her for that. The little girl had been through hell._

_When Austin had been returned to her mother and father two years earlier, she wasn't the little angel they'd known. She was detached, cool. Almost unfriendly. And Terri and Bill Bridger were no longer 'mommy' and 'daddy'. They were simply, Terri and Bill. There had been no funeral for Devon in Ohio. Bill had forbidden it. Somewhere in California there was a ceremony and a headstone for Devon, but Austin hadn't been allowed to attend. The psychiatrists said that had been a mistake. If Austin had had closure, then perhaps she wouldn't have to create an imaginary friend. A friend whom she insisted was really her brother's ghost, come back to keep her company. Yet Bill would not yield and refused to allow his daughter to travel back to California where Jason had buried his partner. _

_Terri and Bill hadn't realized anything was wrong at first. Or perhaps, tried not to see what was obviously right in front of them. Their daughter was closed off, and unwilling to even talk to them, but Bill had dismissed it, saying it was just a phase. That she'd grow out of it in time. But then they started hearing her at night… talking to someone who wasn't there. When they finally confronted her about it, she told them simply, Devon's ghost was back and watching over her, and they'd be together forever. She didn't need anyone besides him. It had taken a lot of convincing, but finally Bill had agreed that his daughter needed counseling to deal with her brother's death. Four therapists later though, it was clear that something was terribly wrong. It had been at the back of Terri's mind. She knew something wasn't quite right with her daughter, something that went beyond normal schizophrenia. Austin knew things. Things she shouldn't know. Events that had happened before Austin was even born. Of course, Terri didn't believe in ghosts. There was no such thing. But Austin's mind clearly wasn't right. And it wasn't just the ghost. Every time a child in her class had a birthday, Austin had to be kept at home for fear she'd scream and lash out at someone if they brought so much as a cupcake in the room. Something had to be done. And when Bill had received a call from Dr. Adair, they thought their prayers had been answered._

_Dr. Adair specialized in cases like Austin's, he had said. He ran a school in Washington. Well, it was half school, half hospital. A hospital for children with certain mental problems, and he'd be more than willing to take Austin as a patient. He'd heard about her case through a colleague that had just happened to have been Austin's third therapist. "It's a wonderful place. Full educational opportunities, while at the same time providing the psychiatric help the students need. I can send you a brochure if you like." And the brochure had indeed looked marvelous. A gorgeous historic hospital setting, surrounded by gardens and stone walls. And beyond the stone walls, hundreds of acres of forest. It was very private. And the best place for a girl like Austin. _

"_It looks expensive…" Terri had said. _

"_Oh, no." Dr. Adair had assured her politely. "Because of your daughter's history, and current mental state, she qualifies for a special program. All her expenses will be paid for. There's no worry on your part. And you can visit her anytime you wish, as long as you give us 24-hour notice. As you can imagine, we're a rather secluded facility. A day's notice will give us time to set you up with a room here for as long as you'd like to visit."_

_How could the Bridgers say no to an offer like that? _

_Terri now ignored the accusation her daughter had thrown in her face. "You're going to the Greensage Institute, and that's final!"_

_The little girl in front of her narrowed her eyes. If looks could kill, there wouldn't be anyone left in the state of Ohio. "I won't go. You can't make me."_

_But they could. And they did. _

_

* * *

_

I don't have panic attacks very often. In fact, I haven't had one in three years. But the one this afternoon was bad. Things just seemed to come crashing down on me. But the one thing that hadn't changed was that the attack made me very tired. Yah, I know I'd slept through the previous night, and most of the morning. But the attack seemed to take what little energy I'd had and suck it right out of me. My head still hurt like a bitch, and thanks to the absolutely delightful and charming turtle known as Raphael, my body was well on it's way to joining the aforementioned head. If anyone ever has the chance to get tackled by a man-sized turtle running twice as fast as you are, I wouldn't recommend it. Just jump in front of an oncoming train instead. It will achieve the same effect, and will hurt a lot less.

Leonardo had come to check on me at some point. I think. I had a vague memory of one of the guys gently touching my shoulder, whispering my name, and asking if I was doing all right. A mumbled 'bugger off' and a politely raised middle finger told him I was in fact, not doing all right and just wanted to sleep. He let me sleep. When I finally did wake up, it was one-thirty in the morning. I know because there was a dimly lit clock on the wall above the computers in the lab on the other side of the curtain from where I woke up. Devon was no where to be seen. He must be pissed at me because I was pissed at him. I don't blame him. Well, actually, yah I do. I blame him for a lot of things. But dammit, he's my brother, and I do love him.

"Devon?" I whispered softly. Hmmm… no response. Oh well, he'd be back soon. Devon was kind of like a cat. He'd get pissed at you, run off, then come back in a few hours wanting attention and saying he forgave you for being mad at him.

I fumbled around until I found a light switch. It was a dimmer, thank god. I think my eyes would have popped out and exploded if I'd have to face full-florescent lighting right about now. Once I had the room lit enough to look around, I noticed a small pile of clothes on the table next to the bed. Picking the clothes up I read the note that was sitting on top of them.

_Austin, _

_These are some clean clothes that our friend April left here. Hopefully they'll fit; she had to guess at your size. Try to rest. We'll take you home tomorrow. _

_-Donatello_

Looking down at myself, I realized how dirty I was for the first time since I'd arrived. There were mud and water stains covering my jeans, and a couple tears as well. My nicest pair of jeans, and they were completely ruined. Damn, I'd just bought them last month, and it wasn't like I had money to spare. My shirt… I wanted to cry. Gazing at the once beautiful crushed velvet ivory blouse, I cringed. There were dark brown stains on the left side of my chest, and I'm sure it was dried blood from my head. And other stains from god knows what when Raph tackled me. With a shudder, I ripped the shirt off. My disappointment only increased when I realized my pretty white lace bra, the one I'd bought especially for my fun little night out on the town, was also stained with the rusty brown taint of blood. Now, here was a dilemma. I looked down at my bra, then to the white t-shirt lying on the bed with the words "Computer Geeks do it online" written in bright flashy colors. After a few moments of nervous indecision, I finally tore the bra off as well and flung it over by the blouse. Just having it nearby made me uncomfortable. I really needed to get over it someday, but I just don't like blood.

I pulled the shirt on. Looking down, I just told myself that if I kept my arms crossed over my chest until they took me home, they'd never even notice I wasn't wearing a bra. On to the jeans. Wow. The jeans. Ok, obviously this April person is hell of a lot skinnier than me. I tugged and pulled and sucked in my tummy, but damned if I could get those babies on. With a frustrated grunt, I laid down on the bed, pulled my stomach flat and finally managed to get them zipped up. Wow. Talk about painted on jeans. I ran a hand over my backside. Damn, I could bounce a dime off my ass, they were so tight. That's ok; I didn't really need to breathe. If I hadn't been wearing a thong, you could have seen the lines of my underwear. Part of me was proud that I'd been able to squeeze into the jeans. The rest of me was trying not to pass out from lack of oxygen. I tried to look at my ass over my shoulder, and started to giggle when Sir Mix-A-Lot popped into my head. I've never been particularly shy about my body. I feel all men should worship me for the goddess that I am. Literally. You know those little goddess pendants with the big hips and bosoms? Those are me. Ok, so I don't have a lot of shame, I just try not to let it show around people I've just met. No need to alienate myself more than I already do.

I bent over then squatted a little, trying to work out the stiffness in my muscles as well as in the jeans. When I was satisfied that I'd be able to function without any major difficulties, like muscle cramps or split seams, I quietly made my way out of the lab. From the looks of things, everyone was asleep. This was slightly surprising, because I know I wouldn't trust a sleeping stranger in my apartment. I'd be watching them like a hawk until they left. But then again, I'm paranoid as hell. The turtles probably had just expected me to sleep through the night.

But I was up and I was bored. I didn't want to go back and sleep more, because my head was finally feeling better. The hangover was gone, and I was wide awake. It would be impolite to wake them up this early in the morning just to ask them to take me home, so I'd just have to wait. I managed to find my way to the couch without tripping over anything in the near darkness. This in itself is an amazing feat, since I'm one of the clumsiest persons I know. There was snoring coming from somewhere and I wondered who it was. _Probably Raph_, I told myself. _Because he's an ass._ It seemed like a good enough reason for me, so I smiled smugly. Hey, a cheap shot is a terrible thing to waste.

I idly hummed to myself and tapped my fingers on my knees. Wow. This was exciting. My eyes gradually adjusted to the dark, and I finally noticed a remote control sitting on the coffee table in front of me. And there was a TV across from me. I looked between the two objects and finally managed to put two and two together and get late night TV programming.

Luckily, the volume wasn't up too loud when I eventually found the power button. Just to be on the safe side, I turned it down a little though. As I sat casually flipping through the channels I became aware of a painfully obvious fact. Late night TV is crap. My choices seemed rather limited. Dancing dogs; Made-for-TV movie, Infomercial, Infomercial, Infomercial, oh- late night news. This might be interesting.

"_And New York City welcomes home Senator Carmine and his wife famed fashion designer Sue Carmine, after a trip around the state. Senator Carmine is up for re-election this year, and was traveling New York in an attempt to gain votes for the upcoming election in November."_ A picture flashed on the screen of a handsome couple climbing gracefully down the steps of a private jet. People like that made me sick.

"Trophy wife." I muttered to myself, but didn't flip the channel. The beautiful blond woman in the light blue silk dress was smiling prettily at the camera and waving. There was an immaculately dressed little girl coming down the steps behind them. She had a smug aristocratic look on her face that told everyone she knew she was better than they were. I wanted to kick her. Little girls like that deserved to be kicked. Little girls like that grew up to be Paris Hilton. I wrinkled my nose in disgust and flipped my middle finger at the little brat on the screen. The anchor with the scarily painted on face finally moved to the next story, and I set the remote on the coffee table. At least this would keep me occupied for another 45 minutes.

As the stories went on, I slowly became aware of something. I wasn't sure what that something was, but I knew it was there. That nervous feeling that something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I leaned over and muted the screen, then sat listening to the silence. Well, the silence except for the snoring that hadn't stopped yet. I looked around cautiously, then lifted myself slightly off the sofa, twisting around to look behind me. Nothing. What the hell? I stilled the urge to call out for Devon. Maybe he was just playing tricks on me. It wouldn't be the first time. And I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of letting it bother me. With a soft grunt, I settled myself back on the sofa and flicked the volume back on. It didn't go away though. It settled itself on the back of my neck, and I resisted the impulse to reach back and nervously scratch. That little prick wouldn't win this time. I could hold out longer, until he properly apologized to me for what happened earlier.

The news stories were coming to a close, and I had almost managed to put the something out of my mind when it happened.

"You're supposed to be sleepin'." The voice was low. Low, dangerous, ungodly sexy and no more than four inches away from my ear. I had always been a sucker for a dangerous voice. And of course, an ungodly sexy voice. I might have appreciated it more though, if it hadn't scared the living shit out of me. I gasped and jumped a few feet off the couch. You can imagine my disappointment when I whirled around and came face to face with Raphael. A few different thoughts ran through my mind in those brief seconds. One. _I guess he wasn't the one snoring. Damn._ Two. _SONUVABITCH!_ Three._ Mmmmm, me likee the voice. _I decided to verbally act on the second thought.

"Asshole!" I hissed and made to slap him. Yes, stupid move I know, but I couldn't help it. Pure reaction. My hand didn't even come close to connecting. He caught me around the wrist and gave me a condescending look, like I was a young child being reprimanded.

"Now, now, play nice." He grinned menacingly, which only seemed to piss me off even more. I tried to wrench my wrist out of his grip, but he held it tight. I thought about hitting him over the head with the remote control in my left hand, but decided against it. I wanted to be able to channel surf later without getting up.

"I don't play well with others." I tried to make my voice sound low and dangerous and sexy too. …I think I failed, because he only gave me a short amused laugh and finally released my wrist. Ok, screw the low dangerous voice. That fucking _hurt_. I whimpered and rubbed my wrist, hoping he hadn't heard me. With an unnatural grace, at least in my opinion, he vaulted over the couch landing softly next to me. "What the hell do you want?" I finally asked.

"From you? Nothin'." He leaned back against the cushions, stretched his legs out and used the coffee table as a footrest.

Ok. This conversation was going nowhere fast. I glared at him for an instant then settled myself back down on the sofa, not very subtly scooting as close to the arm as I could. He made me nervous and I didn't like the feeling. I tried to ignore him as I turned my attention back to the TV. No less than five minutes later I found myself glaring at him again. I never could just drop an issue.

"What?" His eyes never left the TV.

"What the hell were you doing, sneaking around behind me like that. How long were you there, anyway? Do you get some sort of sick pleasure by watching people?"

"Did it make you nervous?"

"…no." I lied, badly.

"Bullshit." He finally looked at me with a smug little expression. I wanted to smack that cocky grin off his face.

"You're such a child."

"I'm not the one who ran out the door screamin' when Donny mentioned _doctors_." He placed way too much emphasis on the last word, and I tensed just slightly. Oooooh, low blow on his part. I had to give him credit for that. But I wasn't nearly so wound up now, and this time I wouldn't let myself go into a fit about it.

"Don't pretend you know anything about me."

"How could I? You haven't told us anythin' about you." This was true. I hadn't had time to tell them anything, and even if I had, where would I start?

"Fine. What do you want to know?" I crossed my arms over my chest and shifted on the couch to face Raphael. I leaned back against the arm and tucked my feet in close, my elbows resting on my knees.

"Who's Devon?" I froze. Right to the point, this guy was.

"Uh… What?" Ah, yes. The standard response when you're stalling for time to answer a question you don't want to answer.

"Who. Is. Devon." He spelled it out slowly for me. God, he must really think I'm a retard. Of course, I hadn't given him much proof to the contrary. And how the hell did he know about Devon, anyway?

I stared at him as I tried to recall anytime I had mentioned Devon in his presence. I couldn't remember anythi--… "You perv!" I realized suddenly. I had called for Devon before I left the lab. "You were watching me, weren't you! You've been here since I woke up!" I narrowed my eyes at him and pointed an accusatory finger. "You watched me get dressed, you freakin' voyeur!"

"Don't flatter yourself." He rolled his eyes at me. "I didn't see nothin'." I didn't say anything, just kept glaring. "What, you thought we'd just leave you alone in our home while we were sleepin'?"

"So you figured you'd stalk me around and scare the living crap outta me? A simple 'good morning, nice to see you're ok.' would have been nice!"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"You're a sadistic fuck, you know that? I was seriously creeped out!" I stretched out one of my legs and nudged him hard in the thigh. Raphael must have been in a good mood, because I don't think I could have gotten away with that on one of his bad days. It just seemed like it made him even smugger than before and I REALLY wanted to hit him. Hard. However, as psychotic as I may be, I'm certainly not suicidal. "Blow me." I started to turn back to the TV, but he wouldn't let the conversation drop that easy.

"You didn't answer the question. Devon?"

I 'hmmmmphed' and looked back at him. "I was disoriented, ok? I thought I was somewhere else."

"Boyfriend?" The pervy mocking tone in his voice really bothered me.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no."

"Roommate?"

"God, lay off, Raphael. Ask me about something else."

"Okay… why don't you like doctors?"

"Anything but that."

"So, what the hell were you doin', climbin' down into the sewers at midnight drunk off your ass?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Ok, so I was stealing Devon's excuse. It would have to work for now.

"You must have been wasted."

"Well, at the time I was getting wasted I thought I was going to go home with the cute guy buying me the drinks, not walking home by myself."

"So what happened?"

"I got jumped by a couple thug-wannabes."

"Nah, I meant with the guy." Ok this was weird. This was actually turning into a conversation. A vaguely pleasant conversation. Well.. pleasant as in the fact that we weren't cursing at each other every other sentence.

"I got ditched for some skinny little tramp in a mini-skirt and halter top."

"Ain't that always how it goes?"

"Shut up. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've gotten laid? I was really looking forward to going home with that guy!" The moment the words came out of my mouth, I instantly regretted them. What the hell was I doing, discussing my sex life, or lack there-of, with a giant turtle who didn't seem to even like me very much. Devon was surprisingly understanding when it came to that area of my life. Probably because of the gay thing, so I didn't feel uncomfortable talking to him about it. Hell, we checked guys out together. Call it a brother-sister bonding thing.

The look on Raphael's face was rather hard to discern, though. I'm not the best at reading the facial expressions of turtles, but if I had to guess I'd say he was checking me out, to determine the best response to that question. What's said is said though, so I just raised an eyebrow, silently daring him to come up with some sarcastic retort.

"Eh. The guy was probably an ass anyway." Vague, simple, and not degrading. I could deal with that.

"You're an ass." I pointed out with in a somewhat friendly tone.

"Never said I wasn't."

I tried to fight back a smile, but it managed to find its way to my face anyway. With a small snort and a 'heh' I realized maybe Raph wasn't so bad after all. Sure, he was a jerk, but the same could be said for me. I'm not the most pleasant of people to be around. I wouldn't quite say we were friends yet, but I think we'd reached a mutual understanding. He could be an ass, I could be a bitch, and we were both okay with that. Today was looking to be a much better day.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes:** Muahahahaha, Raph is not such an ass in this chapter! Anyway, this is my longest chapter yet. Sorry it took so long to post, but I was gone all weekend and just not got a chance to work on the story. The next chapter should be up by the end of the week sometime. Maybe as soon as tomorrow morning, seeing as how I have the next 2 nights off of work. Hope you all enjoyed it. Oh, and for those who were wondering, I forgot to clarify. In the last chapter, the door that slammed that snapped Austin's composure was indeed, April coming into the lair. It was implied, but not stated, and I forgot to add it in to the Notes after the story. 

**Notes for my Reviewers:**

Wow, lots of reviews for this chapter! Thanks guys, so much! My notes to reviewers is almost becoming as long as the chapter itself!

**BubblyShell22:** Sorry, no Leo this chapter. But there will be more of him next chapter! At least, there should be. I write this as I go, so I never know who's going to pop up in the scenes. But there SHOULD be Leo next chapter.

**QueenofSparta:** I'm glad you think she's not a Mary Sue. I'm trying really hard. And that halo you see is really being held up by the horns. Hehehe. With the hell I put my characters through, it's certainly not inspired by anything angelic.

**Isis-Lament:** Yes, you really do have to love Raph. He's always been my favorite. Hopefully he wasn't too out of character in this chapter. It's hard to find that right blend of ass-ness and charm.

**DW:** Don't worry, I won't write in any Mary Sues in this story. I've got too much to do. Maybe I'll start another fic soon, but I think I want to concentrate on this one first. Austin is my baby. My little poor abused psychotic baby who needs lots and lots of therapy, but I still love her. And we finally get to see some interaction between Raph and Austin in this chapter. Yay!

**Lioness-Goddess:** Yah, I really do feel sorry for little Jimmy. That really sucks. "Hey kid, Happy Birthday! Your drunk abusive father just killed the nice gay surrogate dad that lived next door. Here's a present." Wow. I think I might write a story about what happens to poor little Jimmy after that day… after I finish this one, of course.

**Dierdre: **Ehh, don't feel bad about not guessing Devon's killer. I actually had 3 different plot-lines for that, one of them being his own father. I just hadn't decided which one to use yet. The 'blood and birthday' cake line from the first chapter was written as a funny throw-away line. But as I started thinking more and more about it, it just seemed like Devon's death scene wrote itself. As for Mary Sues for the boys… my cousin has declared that if I do indeed write them, and make it NC-17, she's going to have me committed to an institution because it means I'm seriously fucked in the head. I just point out that she's the one reading my fic. To which she responds, "I'm only reading it because you're writing it, and I want to read your stuff." Whatever, Cousin! You know you want the Turtle-Lovin!

**Mickis:** I just love reading your reviews. They make me happy. –grin- Yah, Devon is a bit… possessive. Austin is the only one he can really talk to, and they've been together for so long he thinks that she doesn't need anyone else. His heart is in the right place, but he's just lonely. He doesn't care if she has casual acquaintances and such, but doesn't like it when anyone gets too close to her. It's sad, really. Poor guy.

**bookwurm290:** Thanks for the review. Spell checker is my friend, which is why the grammar is so good. Hehe.

**Sassyblondexoxo:** Mmmmmm…. Raph and chocolate. There is no better combination in all the world. That right there would be my perfect ménage a trois.

**Pretender Fanatic:** I'm glad you're still enjoying the story! From this point on, the flashbacks are going to get a little creepy, methinks. Some of the stuff I have planned out in my head, I'm not sure if I really want to write. We'll see how dark I want this story to get. There's only so much I can do to Austin before I actually start to feel bad about it… But I'm going to make it all up to her by the end of the story! Maybe. –evil grin-

**kaya lizzie**: I hope I didn't go too off-course with the version of Raph in this chapter. He's still a jerk, but I think he and Austin see a bit of a kindred soul in each other. Well.. as much as two loners can manage. But don't worry, this won't turn into a Raph!Romance with hearts and flowers and doves and pretty littly cherubs floating around singing love songs while Austin and Raph slow-dance to Celine Dion or anything. shudders In my opinion, the whole appeal of Raphael is that he's a bad-ass. Mmmmm… I've always had a thing for bad-asses.


	7. Let There Be Light

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin, Devon, Bill, Terri, Jimmy, Jason, Dr. Adair, and now all the kids at the Institute belong to me. And I can do anything I like to them. Muahahahahahahaha….

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **Ok, this chapter was a little harder to get out, because I had something else on my mind. The something else? That would be the new kitty I adopted from the humane society. He's oh-so cute and fluffy. A three-year old lynx/tabby/Maine coon/snowshoe mix thing. And trying to get him acquainted with my other two cats is a bit of a distraction. But anyway, his name is Harry Potter, (If I'd had my way, his name would have been Galahad, but alas, my roommates overruled me.) due to the scar over one eye caused by a head injury he acquired before he was taken to the shelter for care. Perhaps I shall post pictures to the LiveJournal once I get them uploaded.

_FunFact:_Jason, Devon's partner, was originally going to be named Jake. Why did I change? Because apparently in between the Disclaimer and the first paragraph, I subconsciously changed my mind, and his name was forever after, Jason. I can be such a space case sometimes, I swear to god.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 6**

**-DING- Pay attention here!**

The present time in this chapter will be written 3rd person mainly from Leo's POV, like the second chapter was. 1st person Austin will be back next chapter.

_Italics_are Austin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

"_So you're the new freak, huh? What can you do? Anything interesting?" _

_Austin looked up from where she was seated on her new bed, her arms curled around her knees. The side of the room she was sitting on had bare walls, and plain ordinary sheets. There was a standard white clock with black numbers hanging above the small closet that held no clothes. Austin hadn't bothered to unpack. She wouldn't be here long. Devon would help her find a way out and they'd run away together. They'd go back to California and live with Jason and everything would be fine again. It wouldn't be too long. Devon had taken a quick look around, then come back to her in almost a panic. Well, as panicked as a ghost could be. 'There's something wrong here, Austin. I can't put my finger on it yet… but… I can't visit you as often here. It would be… it would be really bad. I'll pop in as often as possible… but…' He'd seemed rather hesitant. 'I'm breaking rules to be with you, you know that, Munchie?' Austin had nodded. He'd already explained to her there were rules. Rules that could be bent, but only so far. And he was already pushing his limits. 'If I come too often They'll take notice. They'll take me away from you.' She had no clue who "They" were, but she didn't want Devon taken away from her. _

'_Ok.' She'd said. She didn't want Devon taking risks either. She couldn't lose him again. And she could take care of herself… for a little while. But in order to get out of here, she'd need him. _

'_I'll try to figure a way out of this, Austin. Don't worry; I'll come up with something.' She knew he would. He hadn't let her down yet. _

_But for right now, there was a perky blond sitting on the bed next to hers. In startling contrast to Austin's side of the room, Ellie's side was decorated in lots of bright colors. Posters of kittens and puppies hung all over the walls. The bedspread was lilac with rainbows and unicorns. And there was a giant stuffed teddy bear sitting in the corner of the room with a t-shirt that said "Hugs are for friends!". The intense cheerfulness of it all made Austin want to throw up. _

"_Huh?" _

"_What's your secret? We've all got 'em. Us freaks down here in the 'high security' section." So that's why she was down here. Austin had been given a tour of the facility. Had her parents bothered to even fly over with her, they would have been impressed. Large classrooms that had inspirational sayings hung on every wall took up the first and second stories of the Institute. The third story was home to the dorms for all the 'normal' students. Austin had wondered what 'normal' students were in a hospital for insane kids. But she had been taken down to the lower level… the underground. Level A it was called. And there was a guard posted at the elevator when she got off. Then she was shown to her room. The room she now shared with Ellie Fig. She'd been left alone to get settled, during which time Devon had told her he couldn't stay. Then Ellie had returned from her sessions with Dr. Adair._

"_Secret…?" Austin blinked uncomprehendingly. She didn't want to talk to this girl. She wanted to be left alone. But something in Ellie's expression interested her. _

"_Yah, secret. Power. Ability. Whatever you want to call it. We all have them down here on Level A. That's why they post the guards. You'll get used to it after a while. I've been here for three years now."_

"_I… I don't understand." _

_Ellie sighed and hopped off her bed, crossed the few steps to Austin's, and climbed up to sit across from her. _

"_You know. The reason you're here."_

"_I… I'm here for therapy." Austin clutched a pillow tightly to her chest. It was a nervous habit she'd picked up after returning to her parent's house. _

_Ellie blinked at her in confusion, her face darkening. "Are you sure you're supposed to be down here? On Level A, I mean. Maybe there was a mix-up…" Oh god, Austin hoped there was. She wanted to be up on the third floor where it would be easier for her to escape. Down here it would be next to impossible. "You ARE Austin Bridger, right? That's who my new roommate was supposed to be." _

"_Yah… that's me." _

"_Huh. Maybe you just don't know what it is yet. That happens sometimes. I've seen a couple kids go through here like that." _

"_Well…what's… what's your power?" Austin asked cautiously._

"_Me? I can see into the future. Not like fortune telling, or those psychic people on TV, though. I have dreams. Sometimes it's not all that clear, but I record them down in a journal every morning for Dr. Adair. And then he looks through them and tries to interpret them. Sometimes I help. It's rather fascinating. Although, sometimes we're not sure what something means until it happens. Get it?" Austin nodded her head. She thought she understood. "And then there's Lucas down the hall. Supposedly he can manipulate fire or something like that. I don't talk to him much. He's a bit of a loner. Doesn't like people. And Wendy in the room across from us? She's from an alternate dimension. Or so she claims. Something about a spell going wrong and she accidentally transported herself here. Crazy, huh? I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard she makes some crazy shit happen. Books flying around the room, stuff disappearing and reappearing in different places. Things like that." _

_Austin stared at her in amazement. She wasn't quite sure if Ellie was insane, or had been watching too many sci-fi movies, or what. That stuff wasn't real. Alternate dimensions? …of course… she regularly had conversations with her dead brother… if that was possible, what else was possible? _

_Ellie hadn't even seemed to notice Austin's stare. "There's another kid that can levitate stuff. Paperclips and staples, stuff like that. And I'm not sure, but there might be a werewolf or vampire on Level B. I'm not allowed on Level B, but I hear that some crazy shit goes on down there. That's the level for kids who don't want to cooperate with Adair. I can't understand why not though. He's always so nice to me. And he only wants to help us control our powers. Make them stronger and stuff. You know what I mean?" The girl didn't even seem to pause for breath. "If they'd just be nice and cooperate, he wouldn't have to sedate them to do the tests. At least, I've heard he does. I hear a lot of things. But most of the people like me here. The guards are nice to me too, and I never get stopped going to the upper levels. If you cooperate with Adair, I'm sure he'll give you access to the library and stuff upstairs. Because of course, we don't have classes with the normal kids." _

"_We…don't?"_

"_Nah, but Adair's assistants tutor us. Well, me at least. And Jesse down the hall. We actually want to learn stuff. Wendy is too busy trying to figure out how to get home and Lucas just doesn't like people. That's another reason to cooperate. Down on B Level they don't get tutors. They're pretty much locked in their rooms all the time." Ellie sighed and examined her nails. "I'm going to have write mom and have her send me more nail polish. This is my favorite color and I'm almost out. Can you believe it? Anyway, I'm gonna go hang out with Jesse for a while. You can come if you want."_

"_I'll… stay here. Thanks." _

_Ellie just nodded and hopped off the bed. "See you later then. Hope your first session with Adair goes well. He's really a nice guy, you'll see."_

_When Austin finally did meet Dr. Adair though, she had to disagree with Ellie's assessment…_

* * *

Leonardo emerged from his room at 5:50am, and the first thing he heard was the last thing he expected to hear.

"No, no, no, I shit you not." Austin's laughter rang merrily through the lair. "The lady looks at me dead serious and says, 'Well… do you have anything with animals? Like... horses or something'?" Leo rounded the corner to see Raphael doubled over in laughter, and Austin sitting next to him, cross legged on the couch wiping tears from her eyes. "People are fucking _nuts_, I swear to god. I mean… how do you respond to something like that?" Austin shook her head, still giggling. The TV was on but the sound was muted, and for some reason, the lights were off.

This was not the sight he'd expected. Leo had thought that Austin would still be asleep after what happened yesterday. The crying, panicked and frail looking girl seemed to have vanished. And in her place was a confident, easy-going, good humored young woman. Sitting on the couch, relaxed, talking to the Raphael, of all people.

Stepping over to the light switch on the wall, he casually flicked it on. Austin jumped slightly, but Raph just settled himself back in the couch casting a slight glare at the cause of the sudden brightness. Austin squinted in the light, then looked slightly sheepish. "Sorry Leo, did we wake you up?"

"No, I was up."

"Yah, Leo likes waking up at the buttcrack of dawn."

Austin snorted a giggle and covered her mouth in a failed effort at hiding her amusement. Leo just glared at Raph. "Were you up all night?"

"What, I got a bedtime now?"

"You better be here for practice."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'll be here. Geez, Leo, you're gonna kill yourself with all this practice. Even Splinter isn't this obsessive."

Leo glared harder. Austin was looking between the two of them not quite as amused now.

"Splinter left me in charge, and I say we practice."

"Yah, yah, I got it."

"Good." The silence that followed had a familiar tension to it, and Leo knew that it could have gone much worse. Raph must have been in what must qualify as a pleasant mood for him.

"So…" Austin broke cautiously. "Any chance I can get some breakfast or something? I mean… you guys do eat, right?"

Raphael snorted. "You're gonna have to wait for Mikey to get up, cause Leo and I can't cook for shit." Leo hated to admit that Raph was actually right about something for a change, but he had to agree. He'd tasted Raph's cooking. And it wasn't much better than his own. But he'd totally forgotten that Austin was probably hungry. She hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours and must be starving by now. "Ehh, I'll go drag his butt out of bed." Raphael stood up and stretched out a little, then headed off in the direction of the snoring. "He won't be happy, but I don't care. I want breakfast too."

As Raph disappeared down the hall, Leo turned his eyes to Austin. She was twisted around, looking at Leo over the back of the couch. He walked closer and sat down in a chair next to her.

"So, are you feeling better this morning?"

Austin blushed slightly. "Yah… hey, about yesterday…"

"Austin, you don't need to apologize. We've seen stuff like that before. Sometimes peop—"

"No." She interrupted nervously. "No, I really do need to apologize. I should have trusted you guys, but I just… It was a lot to handle yesterday. I've been through some stuff I'd rather not talk about right now… but… I'm sorry, Leo. I freaked. I should have had better control over myself."

"Austin, it's ok. Honestly. You think I don't know how hard it is to take in all this?" He gestured to himself and the lair. "It's not easy, I know. You've been through a lot in the past two days, but we just want to help you, ok? We'll get you home safely, and after that we'll just have to see what happens. It might be easier if we just disappear from your life after today. It can be dangerous knowing us."

Austin chewed on her lip thoughtfully, then shook her head. "I'd rather you didn't. This may sound a bit strange, but… it's been a long time since I felt anyone really gave a shit what happened to me…" The words were obviously very hard to say, and Leo wondered if she'd have been able to say them if any of his brothers had been there. "I've had too many people disappear on me, Leo… I don't know if I could handle you guys leaving too. Not after all you've done to help me."

There was a sudden crash from somewhere in the lair, followed quickly by what sounded like an "ARRRGGGHHH!" Then a pause. Then, "That WASN'T funny, Raph!"

"Well," Leonardo said pleasantly. "Sounds like Mikey is awake. What would you like for breakfast, Austin?"

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes:** Ok, I have a question for all you reviewers out there. How is the pacing of the story? Are you feeling that it isn't going anywhere, or that it's moving too quickly, or just right? I'm just curious as to what you all think. I always start a chapter knowing exactly where I want to end it, and then it takes off on a mind of its own. So let me know what you think, if you please. I'd really appreciate it.

P.S. The line about the animals? This is a true story. Sometime tomorrow or the next day I'll post the full story to the Misadventures LiveJournal (austinbridger).

P.P.S. Sorry it was short. But if I didn't cut it off here, there wouldn't have been another update til this next weekend.

P.P.P.S. How many of these can I add? Let's find out!

P.P.P.P.S. The Institute backstory is finally coming out! It will dominate the flashbacks for the next few chapters. For now I'll leave you wondering "what the hell is going on?" Is Ellie mental? Is she telling the truth? Who are the mysterious They? Is all of this just a product of Melodist's mental breakdown from lack of sleep? …. Most likely.

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**DW:** Unfortunately, I didn't get to the breakfast scene yet. But that WILL be the start of the next chapter, so no worries! As for Devon, his present form has many limitations. He's… well… at the risk of giving away a part of the upcoming plot… Devon isn't a normal ghost. So in this Universe, normal ghosts do have the ability to move things. But the only thing Devon can do is take a visible shape and talk to Austin. The reason for this being, I'm trying to keep y'all guessing as to whether or not Austin is really crazy or not. –grin- And to the Mikey thing, he's actually my second favorite Turtle. But I just haven't had a chance to bring him into the story much. There should be much more of him in upcoming chapters though.

**Mickis:** I've pretty much decided from here on out, every chapter will start with a flashback. There's so much backstory I want to cover, and I don't know if the present plotlines will extend long enough to get it all in. We'll have to see. I may just have to write more story! And wouldn't that just be a tragedy? Heheh. Anyway. Yah… I'd love to have Raph sneak up on me like that. Anytime, anywhere. Mmmmmm….

**Reluctant Dragon:** Thanks for all your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much! Mmmmmmmmm, Turtle Orgy. –grin-

**Isis-Lament: **Hehehe. As of right now, I'm not planning a romance for this story. No matter how much I'm tempted to do it, I just don't know if it would add to or take away from the current plotline. Quite honestly I don't think Austin is in a good mental state for romance right now. But if I did decide to make it a romance fic, I'd probably hold off on exploring that avenue until the sequel. Oooops… Did I just say "the" sequel? As in.. I'm already planning it? Yikes… That doesn't mean I'm committed to it, does it? Does it? -frantic look-

**fireandsun: **Mmmm, bad-asses… I saw a bumper sticker the other day that reminded me of Raphael. It said, "I want someone really bad… Are you really bad?"

**Beth Hart(Leo Oneal):** Yes, indeed, it was Leo that Austin flipped off. But I'm pretty sure he took in stride. He lives with Raph, after all, it couldn't have shocked him too much. Thanks for the review, and I hope you keep enjoying my story!


	8. Pancakes and Marriage Proposals

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **In the first chapter, right before she passed out, Devon told Austin she needed to get to a doctor. Considering her aversion to doctors, you'd think Devon would understand, and never in his life (or death) mention such a thing. Well, he can be a tad ditzy sometimes, and old habits die hard. Obtain Injury, see doctor. That sort of thing. Either that, or the author was having a brainfart, and totally forgot an entire PLOTLINE for the story in the editing process … Yah. My bad.

_FunFact:_These are the names of Austin's psychiatrists, listed in the order she attended sessions with them: Dr. Gaines – male. Dr. Frederick – male. Dr. Collins – female. Dr. Conner – female. Dr. Collins is the only one who really has any impact on the story. Seeing as how she totally broke that patient-doctor confidentiality thing by reporting Austin's case to Dr. Adair.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 7**

_Italics _are Austin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

_Austin hadn't cooperated. From the moment she'd met Dr. Adair she knew she didn't like him. It went beyond dislike, actually. She hated him. She hated him and she was scared to death of him. There was something that lay just beneath the surface of the gentle exterior. There was a gleam in his eyes that couldn't be trusted. So Austin had refused to answer any of his questions. She had sat in the oversized, overstuffed chair in his office and kept her mouth shut. Perhaps it would have been better for her if she'd cooperated, but she knew Devon would have told her to be strong. Be true to what she believed in, and never show fear. And so she had sat, her arms crossed and her eyes glaring at the poisonous snake masquerading as a psychiatrist._

"_We're going to need a Black in here, John. No hurry, but as soon as you have a free moment." Dr. Adair released the button on the intercom and leaned back in his chair looking the defiant little girl in the eyes. "I really wish you'd work with me here, Austin." His tone stated otherwise. She swore she could almost detect anticipation, like he wanted her to fight him. If there was one thing Austin did well it was listen. Over the past two years she had done little talking, but a lot of listening. She'd picked up a lot of things, and had learned to read adults voices amazingly well for someone her age._

_Austin narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. What was he going to do to her? Lock her in her room? Give her a time out? She was already trapped in this damned school with no way out, so what difference did it really make? She was still a prisoner. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Neither willing to back down. She could almost detect a hint of respect in the malevolent eyes of the doctor. He was a man who didn't like weakness. It annoyed him. And Austin was far from weak. _

_The door behind her opened suddenly, but she didn't move. Her eyes were locked on the doctor. She didn't trust him, and didn't want to turn her back to him. Only when she felt the sting on the side of her neck did she realize her mistake. Startled, she jumped out of the chair, turning to see a man in a white lab coat. He was holding a syringe. A now empty syringe. Austin's eyes went wide and her hand flew to the spot on her neck. But her reflexes were already slowing. Her arm felt heavy, and the room was growing darker. Large hands picked her up and she felt like a rag doll being slung over someone's shoulder. As everything became dark, her last thought was to wonder what kind of hell her parents had sent her to. _

_

* * *

_

"Ooooooohooo, come to momma… Mmmmm, yes…." I eagerly accepted the mug and breathed in the deep rich steamy aromas. God… coffee had never smelled so good. I closed my eyes and smiled and sipped. Goddamn, but Donny made good coffee. I sighed happily and sipped again.

"Would you two like to be alone?" The mocking voice came from the turtle straddling the chair next to me and I opened my eyes. I resisted the urge to flip him off at the breakfast table. I did have a little tact after all. I rolled my eyes at him instead then turned my attention to Leo who was sitting across from me. Before the wonderful interruption of caffeine, he had asked me about where I lived.

"There's a little café on Whitewater Street." I told him. "It's called The Celestial. I'm the night manager of there, and I rent the apartment above it from the owner."

"Oh, so you aren't a student then? I wondered since your ID was out-of-state."

I shook my head. "Not currently a student, no. I transferred my credits to a school here in New York, but haven't been able to attend yet. As for the ID, though. It's just an extra one I carry around on my nights out. My current one is safe at home."

"Austin, you are going to love me. You're going to want to date me, and marry me, and have little turtle babies with me." Mikey's voice carried over from the stove where he was rushing around, flipping pancakes, buttering toast, and doing all sorts of other breakfast-y things. I'd offered to help when we first came in the kitchen, but he'd shoo'd me away and said he was going to impress me with his masculine cooking skills.

"You're cooking isn't THAT good." Donatello mumbled now and I snickered.

"Oh ho ho! We'll see about that." Mikey arrived at the table, balancing five different platters, each covered in food. I don't think I'll ever figure out how he managed to set them all down on the table without dropping them. If it had been me… well… if it had been me, I'd have carried them over one at a time, and STILL probably managed to drop at least two on the way. With a flourish, he set the last plate down directly in front of me. "Ta DA!"

I have to say, I was impressed. It was the most appetizing breakfast I'd ever seen in my life. Homemade pancakes, hot crisp bacon, toast, juice… I live on Eggos and poptarts most of the time at home.

"A Michelangelo special!" He grinned "A touch of honey, a dash of vanilla, and just a pinch of cinnamon, and you have the most delicious, mouthwatering pancake ever created by mortal hands."

"Hey… I didn't get a smiley face on my pancake…" Donatello muttered. I grinned and looked down at the cute little bacon mouth and butter nose on my plate.

"Well, you're not special." Mikey replied. "Go on, Austin. Try it! Tell me how good it is."

I took a bite. He was right, it was fantastic. "You've impressed me. No other pancake will ever satisfy."

"Hah! So you want to marry me then, right? It was just THAT good."

"Sorry, I'm a lesbian." I took another bite.

I must have timed that one badly, because Leo and Don both choked into their orange juice. And poor Mikey looked so crestfallen. "Really?" he asked in a voice that almost made me feel bad. Raph though, must have thought it was incredibly funny. He was snickering to himself while pouring syrup on his pancake.

"Nah, not really. But it IS a damn good pancake." I grinned and punched him softly on the arm. "You can cook for me anytime." He seemed to think that was a good compromise and sat down to eat his own breakfast.

As breakfast progressed, I became aware of a universal truth. Guys are still guys, even if they happen to look like human sized turtles. It was like a contest to see who could shove the most food in their mouth the fastest. Leonardo seemed to have moderate self control, but he still packed away a lot of food. Well, they had said they were ninjas, right? I guess ninjas use up a lot of energy, so they need to eat a lot. Or something like that. But I guess they also don't need to use napkins. Oh well. Males will be males.

"So, when do you have to get home?" Mikey asked around a mouthful of bacon. "I mean, you can stay here as long as you want, can't she Leo?" He didn't wait for a response. "You're in no hurry to get back, are you?" I washed my last bite of pancake down with some juice and had a mental image of Mikey carrying me into their home like a stray animal. _She followed me home, can I keep her? Pleeeeeeeeeease, Leo?_ He was just like a little kid. Cute, but I could tell it might get annoying after a while.

"Well… um… today's Sunday, isn't it…?" I realized that I'd sort of lost track of time since arriving here. Everything had all seemed to mush together into one big fuzzy memory.

"Yes, it's Sunday." Leo answered for me. "And you are welcome to stay here as long as you'd like…" His gaze flickered to Mikey quickly then back to me. "It would be safer for us to wait until dark to take you home, but I understand if you need to get back sooner. We'll take you as far as you can, but we won't be able to escort you out on the street unless it's night."

I nodded in understanding. Honestly, I wasn't sure which I'd prefer. I hadn't spent this much time in someone else's company in a long while, and it felt a little weird. I also knew Devon would want to get me alone as soon as possible. He didn't like it when I was around more than one or two people for very often. That was one of his rules he didn't like to break. The more people around me, the less likely it was he could come and talk. Something about the mysterious "Them" finding out about him. But I didn't want to leave. Not yet.

"I can wait until dark, if it's ok with you." I smiled. "I'd feel a bit safer with an escort home." Actually, feeling safe had nothing to do with it. I just liked spending time with them.

"Great! It's settled!" Mikey practically jumped up from the table. "C'mon, Austin. Wanna play a video game? I just got this kick-ass racing one!"

Raph grunted softly and leaned over to whisper loud enough for everyone to hear. "Get out while you can. I'll hold him back, just run."

"I tried that yesterday. You knocked me on my ass." I looked pointedly at Raph while picking up my plate to carry to the sink. "I'd rather not chance a repeat of that, thank you very much."

Raph chuckled as if remembering a fond memory. He really was an ass. A likeable ass, but still an ass.

"I'll take those, Austin. Don't worry about it." Donatello took my dishes from me and gestured to Mikey with his head. "If you don't get out there and play a game with him, I think he's going to have a fit."

Leo fixed a stern look on Mikey. "Don't forget, practice in one hour."

"Yah, yah." Came the hurried response as Mikey grabbed my hand and pulled me from the kitchen.

* * *

After an hour, it became quite apparent I should never be a racecar driver. Or any kind of driver at all. I had more fun crashing into other people than I did actually racing. I think I was giggling just a little too evilly, because Don had scooted away from me on the couch as I plowed over pedestrians and rollerbladers. "Hah! Take THAT! And THAT! Oh, you want some too? C'mere!" I gleefully crashed into a police cruiser, which caused my own little mustang to blow up in a bright ball of fire.. "…..awwwwww." I pouted when "You Lose" flashed up on the screen. 

"Dude, that's the seventh time you've done that!"

"Dudette." I corrected idly and set down the controller. "Anyone else want a turn?"

"Actually…" came Leo's voice from just behind the couch.

"Ooooh, no! No, don't say it, Leo. PLEASE, don't say it." Mikey whined.

"Practice time."

Mikey groaned. "C'mon, Leo. We can take a day off. Just ONE day."

"Practice. Now."

"Awwww, man." Don, Raph and Mikey reluctantly got up from where they'd been watching me create mass mayhem and destruction on the streets of San Francisco.

"Can I watch?" My request startled me. Not so much because I'd asked it, but for the reason behind asking it. If I was in the same room as them… Devon wouldn't come back. The realization hit me like a freight train. I didn't want Devon to come back… I wanted him to stay away. If he came back now, he'd try to convince me to get away from them. He'd bug me about it until I agreed. And I didn't want to give him the chance, because I knew sooner or later I'd agree. I'd let him drag me back home to where it was just the two of us. And god… I didn't want that. I wanted to be here. With friends. Yah, I know I'd only just met them… but I could tell. They were friends. _Please, please… let me watch. Let me stay in the same room as you guys…_

"Sure, I don't see why not." Leo smiled and I let out a huge sigh of relief. "You'll have to follow a few simple rules, but other than that… it should be ok."

The rules were incredibly simple. First, no shoes, which was easy for me to follow. I wasn't about to put back on the sewage soaked white Mary Janes I'd been wearing. You couldn't have paid me to put them back on. Second, sit down and shut up. Well, Leo didn't quite say it like that, but that was the gist of it. Third, don't touch the weapons. That one was a bit harder. They were so _shiny_ and _pretty_. And they covered the walls! Knives and swords and throwing stars and other things I had no names for. But I restrained myself. I've hurt myself on Tupperware, so it was probably not in my best interest to be handling anything with sharp blades.

Now, I've seen lots of martial arts movies. And I have to say… compared to what these guys were doing? Wow. The real thing is so much fucking cooler. And the fact that they were _turtles_… Wow. Just… wow. My eyes couldn't even follow most of the stuff they were doing, it was so damn quick. It became apparent within maybe… five seconds that these guys could Kick. My. Ass. They'd broken off into pairs and were doing…what was it called… I wracked my brain for the word. Sparring? Yah, that's it. And it was impressive.

I wasn't even aware that I'd been humming until Michelangelo started singing along with me. I don't think Leo quite appreciated the fact that his sparing partner was belting out 'Kung Fu Fighting'. He glared at me and I grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry." I made the motion of zipping my lips and put my hands back in my lap, the picture of serenity.

I leaned back against the wall and watched, enthralled. But it wasn't until they pulled out their weapons that I REALLY started to enjoy watching. God, I was so jealous. I wanted to be able to move like that. My greatest quality was I made the best double tall French Vanilla Soy Latte this side of the Mississippi. Or so my regular customers told me at the café. But this? I'd give anything to be able to move like that. I sighed and looked down. Unfortunately, there were two very good reasons why I'd never be that graceful. DD tits just didn't make for very good acrobatics. Not that I'd had any complaints, mind you, but bedroom acrobatics isn't what I meant.

I turned my attention back to the guys. Leo was working with some sort of twin swords. Awesome. I grinned wickedly and kept my eyes on him for while. Damn, he sure knew how to handle them. That perverted little part of my brain was just begging me to make a comment about boys handling their weapons, but I bit it back. My eyes moved on to Donatello. A Bo staff. Yes, I knew what that was. If only for the fact that one of my regular customers loved to RPG, and had shown me all the stats on his characters. Repeatedly. Whether I wanted to see them or not. And one of them used a bo staff as a weapon. Next time the pimply faced amateur gamer came in the café, I'd have to laugh at him. He knew NOTHING about using Bo staffs.

Mikey… hmm… I know I'd seen those weapons before in lots of movies. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember what they were called. Whatever they were, he was very good with them. I was impressed. Looked like he could do more than just cook.

I moved on to Raph. Hah! Sais. I giggles silently to myself. Ok, now that was fucking awesome. Thanks to comic books, I knew exactly what those were. For a gay man, Jason had had quite the fascination with Elektra. I remember a particular panel where the heroine had been impaled on her own sai. And judging at how sharp Raph's sais looked, I had no doubt that drawing wasn't exaggerated.

Devon had always accused me of being much too fascinated by men who wielded weapons. Hence, the reason I'd seen so many martial arts movies. A small part of me wished I could be kidnapped, just so I could have these guys come find me and fight for my honor. Screw feminist woman power bullshit. Who wouldn't want a strong, fast, skilled, muscular warrior coming to their rescue? I mean, sure they were turtles, but who cares? No one's perfect. Take me for example. I see dead people. The flaw that makes the masterpiece, in my opinion. And they _were_ kind of cute… in a bald… green… sort of way. And they were nice. And Devon didn't want me near them. That usually meant they were worth getting to know.

I frowned as that little thought entered my mind again. I shouldn't be thinking these things about Devon. He's my brother for god's sake. I love him. And he's been good to me. He was there when no one else was. Why was I starting to think of him as an annoyance now? But it wasn't just now… This was something that had been burning at the back of my mind for at least a few years now. I'd been so dependant on him… and he'd encouraged it.

While I was at the Institute… Devon was the only reason I'd survived. He kept me living. He'd kept me sane. After I'd escaped… he was the one to keep me company. He helped me find places to eat and sleep in those first few months. And then he'd helped me get back into school. Not under my own name, of course. I was a runaway. But Devon was frickin' smart, and he'd figured out ways for me to sneak through the loopholes. When I turned 18, I got my GED. And then I got my two year transfer degree from a community college. And all the time he'd been there, helping. Teaching. Encouraging. And then I'd arrived in New York. And I'd gotten a job, an apartment… a life. And I was discovering… I didn't need him as much anymore. I still loved him; he was my brother. But… I didn't need him… and it was a scary thought. I didn't want to feel this way. But I wasn't that frightened little girl curled up on the landing at Terri and Bill's house anymore. I was Austin Bridger. And I could take care of myself. Until Devon showed up… and then he always showed me the ways that I needed him. I was torn. I owed him… I owed him for so much… I couldn't just ask him to go away forever.

I sighed and rested my head on my knees. When the hell did my life become so complicated? It seemed like every time I thought I had things figured out, fate popped up with another little twist and said, "Hi Austin. I'm Fate, and I'm going to screw with you. Won't that be nice?"

I shook my head to clear all thoughts and focused once again on the guys. The only thing I wanted to concentrate on right now was the nice sweaty muscles in front of me. Yah, they were green turtle men. But they were sweaty, and breathing hard, and making nice grunting sounds. And technically, they were naked. I wasn't going to complain.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes: **The line about hurting herself with Tupperware. True story. Don't ask. It's much too embarrassing. 

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Isis-Lament:** Hey, don't apologize for long reviews! I love long reviews. I posted the animal story to the journal a little while ago. Hehehe. Hopefully everyone else will find it as amusing as I did. Man, I have so many stories I can tell about customers from where I used to work. Our store got all the freaks…

As for a sequel.. I've got a definite ending for this story. Depending on the reaction I get from people, I may or may not write a sequel. I have some other ideas for stories I want to use, but I'm going to wait til this one is done. I just don't think I'll have the time to work on more than one story at a time, unless it's a little one-shot or something. We'll see.

Oh. And as for Raph waking Mikey up… you know that trick, where the guy takes the tablecloth and pulls it out from under all the china really quick, without breaking anything? … Let's just say it doesn't quite work as well if it's a turtle sleeping on top of the blanket…

**Reluctant Dragon:** So much for hoping that none of my reviewers had ever read "Stolen"…. Heh. Extremely good book, by the way. I finished reading it last week, ironically enough. I thought it was rather funny, because I'd already had the idea for the Institute plotted out for a long time. I admit, it's not an original concept, but eh. I'm still keeping it in my story. And I love Kelly Armstrong's books. I haven't read any of the others, just "Bitten" and "Stolen." Are her other ones good too? I need to make a trip to the bookstore soon and they've been on my list.

**fireandsun:** Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this last chapter as well!

**BETH HART(Leo Oneal):** Well, Austin is a bit more bold than I am. She's been through a lot that's caused her to lose a lot of her shyness. She's more witty than I am, and quicker on her toes. We share the brown hair though! Sorry this chapter was a long while getting out!

**Mickis:** Yah, that last chapter was a bit short. I was pushing it out so it wouldn't delay the story any. I originally had a LOT more flashback in this chapter, but it just seemed to weigh everything down, and I think I can summarize in future chapters, without it seeming so… boggy. As for Austin being crazy or not…. Hehehhe. I shall never tell! …until it suits the story. It will be revealed at some point. I'm not sure how people will react. I will say this, the truth has never changed since I started forming the plot in my head. In fact, I built the story around Devon. –starts building suspense- Just wait til everyone finds out this was all a DREAM SEQUENCE! MUAHAHAHAHAHA….. uh.. oh shit. Did I just say that out loud?...

**DW: **I hope the breakfast scene was acceptable! It wasn't all that long, but there was much more Mikey in this chapter. And Susan…. Ahhh yes. Susan. She does seem to be missing, doesn't she? …I wonder where on earth she got to… hmmm….. I just don't know… -is blatantly lying in order to increase suspense-

**Dierdre: **hehehehe. Thir13en Ghosts (or however the heck they do that title thing) is one of my favorite cheesy movies. I recognize how bad it is, and love it because of that reason. Anyway. I think Raph and Austin have a similar sense of humor. They both realize that life isn't all puppies and roses. She's a bit rough around the edges. Though probably not quite as much as he. I think they'll get along good.

And hey, a late review is better than none at all! You're forgiven. :)

**The REAL Cheese Monkey:** Thanks for the review! Austin isn't really based off anyone I know. I can see parts of her that I've taken from myself or my roommates, but she's not anyone specific. Hopefully, she'll stay non-Mary Sueish.

**kaya lizzie:** Yah, I get the feeling Austin isn't in the right mind for a relationship, be he man, or turtle. There's a LOT of baggage going on there. But hopefully she'll have worked through some of it by the end of the story. But she is STILL a woman after all. And as evident in the story, she knows when she's looking at some male hotness. –sighs- I honestly don't understand how people can't see the attraction there! I mean… hot, muscular green ninja men…-starts to drool- excuse me. I need to go take a cold shower….


	9. Poker Face

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **Annnnnd, here is where the past starts to get weird. Sort of. I guess it's already pretty weird. But now it's starting to get creepy. Doctors are creepy. They're right up there with clowns. A clown dressed as a doctor is about the most terrifying thing I can think of.

This chapter is dedicated to my cousin. After reading this, you can't possibly deny the attraction of mutant turtles. Mmmmmmmm……

_FunFact:_Austin's middle name is Clover. …Yes, Clover. Blame her mother. I do.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 8**

_Italics _are Austin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

_Where was she? She didn't remember. Everything had been so dark… so cold and so dark… She opened her eyes, and the light was blinding. With a groan, Austin shut her eyes and turned her head away from the light. Something was wrong. She couldn't feel her legs or her arms. No… no wait. She could feel them. But she couldn't move them… something was holding her down to whatever she was laying on. Straps of some kind? She didn't know. _

"_Now gentlemen, here is an interesting subject." _

_Austin heard the voice, but didn't comprehend the words. Everything was still so fuzzy. _

"_Nine-year-old Caucasian female. Original reports from Dr. Collins indicate that the child was experiencing hallucinations of her deceased brother. She witnessed his murder two years ago and claims to be regularly visited by his ghost. Normally Collins would have dismissed this as classic schizophrenia, but this ghost revealed information to the girl that she had no way of knowing. Events, conversations, words on documents she couldn't see. She could describe objects hidden from view."_

_Dr. Adair continued. "Now, I've seen no evidence of supernatural visitation in the few days she's been here. She talks to someone, that much is clear, but we've monitored the room with all the usual equipment. There's no temperature or atmospheric changes to imply a ghost. You remember the Gage boy? His little ghostly friend was sending the radars off the chart. But we don't get anything with the girl. No, I think that much is in her head. But the psychic powers are undeniable." _

"_What have you learned from her so far?" Another voice finally broke Adair's monologue._

"_Not much. I've only done a couple preliminary exams. There's nothing wrong with her physically. I thought you might like personally oversee her first few sessions while you're here. After all, we wouldn't be able to run this institute without your generous funding." _

_Austin was starting to recognize words now. Her eyes had adjusted to the light and she could make out three men standing off to her left. Everything was still blurry, but she was sure the first one to speak had been Dr. Adair. He had to be in the room. _

_She still felt cold… She whimpered and tugged at the straps holding her down, but it did no good. What kind of monster was Dr. Adair? Why would he do this to her? And why weren't these other men trying to help her? She didn't understand anything. And where was Devon? Had they done something to him? Was it even possible that they could? She didn't know…_

"_Ah, I see our girl is waking up. Shall we begin, gentlemen?"_

* * *

"God, finally! What the hell took you so long?" 

I flinched at the voice. I'd been expecting it, but it was still a little disturbing considering where I was at the moment. "Uh… hey Devon." I whispered softly, just in case one of the turtles was outside the door.

"Don't 'hey' me. You were avoiding me. What's wrong Austin? Dead brother isn't good enough for you anymore?" Lord, he was in a pissy mood. I didn't need this right now.

"I'm sorry." I hissed. "But they're nice. I'm having fun here."

"They're giant turtles, Austin. Let's just get out of here and go back home where everything's normal."

I decided against pointing out that my life hadn't been normal since I was five. "You seemed to think they were cool earlier."

"Yah, well, that was before…" Before I started to get to know them. Yes, I knew how Devon's mind worked.

"God, Devon, don't be such a child. You can talk my ear off all night long once they take me home. But for now, just… lay off, ok?"

Devon crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. I could tell he was close to giving in. For now. He'd really chew me out once we were alone, though. No matter how pissed he was at me, he didn't like to take the chance of being found out.

"I _promise_ Devon. We can discuss this as much as you want later. But for now just calm down. Please? There's nothing for you to be upset about."

He ground his teeth together. I'd swear I could hear the grating of enamel. "Fine," he said in a low tone. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you. I don't trust these guys."

That wasn't true, and he knew that I knew it. He just didn't want to share me. I rolled my eyes at him and sighed. "Whatever turns you on. Just please, do it from a different room." He narrowed his eyes at me. "For god's sake Devon, I'm trying to pee! A little privacy?"

It was as if he hadn't noticed I was sitting on the toilet until just then. "Oh." At least he had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. "Oh, sorry." He started to vanish, but then shimmered back into view. "By the way…" he pointed at my chest. "Did you know you're not wearing a bra?" I growled and threw a roll of toilet paper at him. It flew through him and bounced harmlessly off the wall. Devon disappeared in a fit of laughter.

* * *

It had started out so simply. Just something to pass the time until nightfall. But what started out so innocently, so lightheartedly, was now turning into something deeply personal. Honor was at stake. I forced myself to stay calm… cool… collected. Now was not the time to panic. I looked deep into Raphael's eyes. What was he thinking? Did he already know what was going to happen? Could he read me so well? Or was that smug look on his face just for show. Was he just as nervous as I? I let out a slow breath and leaned back in the chair, forcing my body to relax. I had to make a decision. Everything was riding on what I said next. 

Everything… I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath. Perhaps it was better to be shamed and keep what little integrity I still had, rather than throw it all away on a foolish chance. "I fold, you bastard!" Disgusted, I threw my pair of Kings on the table. Raph had already put Don and Mike out of the game long ago, and they were forced to watch as my supply of pennies grew smaller and smaller.

Grinning, Raphael leaned forward and added the small pot to his own already large heap of pennies. "Just isn't your lucky day, is it?"

"Let me see your cards!" I pushed myself up a little and leaned over the table, but he slapped my hand away. I slapped him back and stole the cards. Well... I couldn't really call it stealing. If he hadn't wanted me to take them, I knew he could have stopped me. I'd seen how fast his reflexes were.

"You ass! You had _nothing_!" I glared at him. He only laughed.

"Don't feel bad, Austin. You lasted a lot longer than us." Don pointed out with a slightly optimistic tone.

"Hey, if we're comparin' staying power…" Raph broke in, an arrogant look on his face.

"You perv." I gathered up the cards and straightened them all into a deck.

"You know you want me."

"You couldn't handle me."

"Is that a challenge?"

"You wish."

"One more hand?"

"Bring it on, asshole."

* * *

Last draw. I had a Full House. I wasn't going to lose this one. Raph and his goddamned poker face though… no… he wouldn't beat me. I was going to win.

"Geez, I thought I taught you to play poker better than that. You hardly have any money left!" I flinched at the voice, but didn't acknowledge it. Devon was taking one hell of a chance talking to me now.

"That bad, huh?" Raph called me on the movement. "You can still fold. Bow out with a little grace."

"Like hell." I looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "Your bid."

Raphael smoothly set his cards facedown on the table. He held me with his eyes for a moment and tapped the table with one finger. I could just make out the pale form of Devon floating around behind him. He looked more misty than normal… not quite as solid. He must be being careful… not coming all the way 'into Reality' as he liked to call it. Raph, Don, and Mike took no notice of him whatsoever. He didn't exist to them.

"All of it." Raph leaned over, pushing his entire stack of pennies into the center of the table.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I don't even HAVE that much." I gestured to the thirty or so pennies I had left.

"Guess you'll have to offer somethin' else won't you?"

I stared blankly at him for a second then groaned silently to myself. _Oh god, I KNEW that story was going to come back and bite me in the ass._ It had been a year ago. I went out with some co-workers, got into the party mode… and then we'd all gone back to the dayshift manager's boyfriend's house and played poker. When myself and another girl had run out of money…. Well… suffice to say I'd wound up naked by the end of the night. And like a dumbass, I'd told that story to Raph early this morning on the couch. It seemed funny at the time.

Now, his eyes raked over me and I sat up a little taller in my chair, defiantly. "And what, exactly, do you have in mind?" But I already knew the answer.

"Hmm… the pants." Don and Mike were looking at us, slightly confused, but I could see comprehension starting to dawn on their faces.

"No way, Raph. That's going too far." Donatello stood up from the table.

"Do it, Austin!" Devon called. "He can't beat you. You have the better hand. Nothing to lose." Of course, he'd already been looking at the cards! I had to love that sneaky little ghost. I weighed my options. I could just refuse, and end the game, and the fun. Or I could agree, and laugh in Raph's face when I beat him. Oh yah, that was a hard decision.

"I'm in."

"You're what? Austin, c'mon. You don't have to put up with this."

"It's ok, Don. He's not going to beat me." Now it was my turn to be smug.

"Oooh, you sure about that?" Came the mocking voice across from me.

"If I lose this hand, I'll let _you_ take them off."

"Ooooh, nice touch, Munchie. I gotta leave now, tell me how it goes later, k?" The wispy form vanished, but I didn't even look in his direction.

Raphael blew out a low whistle. "Confident, aren't you?"

"You have no idea..."

"I'm gonna have so much fun…"

"You're all talk, you know that?"

"Am I?" He grinned and turned his cards over with a swift motion. "This royal flush says differently."

I stared at the cards. Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10. All in a pretty little row. Spades, no less. They put my Full House to shame. He'd lied to me. Devon had lied. That little _shit_ had LIED to me, then vanished! I was gonna kill him. No matter that he was already dead, I'd find a way. I wanted to yell and scream and curse, and call him every dirty name under the sun. But all I could do was stare at Raph's cards. That little shit _lied_. He was probably watching right now. From 'outside Reality'. Probably laughing his little head off at my expense.

"Weeeell?" Raphael drew the word out, low and soft. He knew he'd won, but he wanted to hear me say it. He was enjoying this way too much. I tore my eyes from the cards and looked up to the turtle sitting across for me.

"You win." I said through clenched teeth. I laid my cards down on the table, slowly standing up.

"Austin…" Don said softly. "Forget it. You don't have to do anything. We'll just call it off and pack up the game."

"Yah… what he said." Mikey joined in mechanically. Though I noticed that neither of them made a move to leave… or even get up.

Raph said nothing. He was sitting back in his chair again, his hands resting lightly on the table. He'd let me walk away. I could see it in his face. All I had to do was say the word, and he'd let it drop. He might give me a hard time, but he wouldn't push me. I respected him for that. Unfortunately… I knew I'd hate myself if I backed down. I hadn't survived mad scientists, blazing fires, psychotic roommates, and high school, only to turn coward now. I may not be much of a people person, but I damn well keep my word when I give it to someone. …which is why I don't give it very often.

I could feel the anticipation in the room. Despite his earlier complaints, Donatello was watching my every move. Mike's mouth was hanging slightly open as if he was having trouble believing what was happening. I really couldn't blame them. They were teenage guys who, by the sound and look of things, didn't see many women down here. I wasn't that nervous about nudity. I'm not ashamed of my body. It's rather nice, in my opinion. I like to tell people that I have a nice layer of padding. What guy would want a girl in bed who was all skinny and boney anyway? Curves are good. No, what bothered me was that I looked like an idiot now. I'd been so damned confident, and now I was paying for it. I'd probably have danced around naked for them if they'd asked, but this was a result of my own stupidity. It was humiliating.

But I sure as hell wasn't backing down now.

With a smooth confidence that I didn't even know I possessed, I moved around the table, stopping just in front Raphael. He stood, slow and assertive. He placed a finger just on the outside of my knee, and slowly traced the seam of my jeans as he rose. The feather light touch sent a shiver through me and I realized how absurd this situation was. I was standing in the kitchen of the underground home of four mutant turtles… and in a few moments, one of them was going to strip my pants off me, because I'd lost a freakin' poker hand. Fate sure was throwing me an interesting curve.

And god, he was taking his time. His eyes had never left mine and I wondered what was going through his head as he touched me. Raph was standing fully now, his hand coming to rest on my hip underneath the hem of my shirt. I stood just a few inches taller than he, but I felt like a child beneath his gaze. He was intimidating me, and he knew it. He stepped closer, and I wondered if he knew the degree to which he was affecting me. His thumb brushed just barely on the skin right above the hip-hugger lines of the jeans and I tensed. This wasn't right. Oh god, this couldn't be right. I was actually getting aroused. Why couldn't he just unhook them quickly and be done with it like a normal person? I squirmed a little and could see the grin on his face grow wider. I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, trying to steady myself. If I didn't look at him it would be ok, I tried to tell myself. But that thought died as his hand moved again. With the loss of sight, my other senses went into overdrive.

I could feel the rough calluses on his finger as it drug over my sensitive skin. Along my hip…down across my stomach… I was breathing deeper than normal and I prayed to god he didn't notice. The blood was pumping through my veins and it seemed every sound in the kitchen was amplified tenfold. Without warning he slipped a finger inside my jeans, just behind the button and jerked me forward. I let out a gasp as I was pulled off balance and raised my hands to catch myself. Raph knew what he was doing. My eyes flew open and I grabbed his arms just above the elbows to steady myself. Our bodies were only inches apart. My heart was pounding and I knew he could sense it. The smile on his face melted away into something more serious, and with a flick of his wrist the button on my jeans popped open. In that split second, he could have done anything to me, and I would have accepted it willingly. I'd always had a thing for bad boys…

But the moment was broken with a sound from just outside the kitchen and we both seemed to snap to our senses. I pulled away from him, cursing myself silently, wondering if he was doing the same and yet knowing he probably wasn't. And then, Leo walked in. He started to say something, but stopped. The tension in the air was thick and he knew something was going on.

"Am I… interrupting something?" He asked suspiciously.

"Uh... no. Not at all." Don got to his feet quickly and gave Leo a shaky smile.

"Nope!" Mike stood hastily, knocking over his chair. He spun around, tried to pick it up, dropped it, and then finally managed to get it up in its rightful place looking for all the world like he'd meant to do that. "Just a friendly game of poker!"

I nervously tugged my shirt down, hoping Leo wouldn't notice the button on my pants and ask about it. Not that he would; he doesn't strike me as the type to pry like that. But you never know. He looked between the four of us like we were guilty children that needed to be punished only he wasn't sure what the crime was yet.

"Okay…" Leo seemed like he wanted to say something further on the subject, but decided to let it drop. "It's getting dark out." He turned to me. "It's probably time to get you home, Austin."

I nodded, stealing a glance at Raph. He looked slightly annoyed. I suppose I couldn't blame him. Things had gotten a little hot just then, and if Leo hadn't shown up…

Well, I didn't want to think about that. I must have hit my head harder than I thought if I was finding myself forming an attraction to a turtle. My heart was still beating fast and I needed to calm down. Maybe Devon was right. I needed to get back where things were normal. Back to where I went home with cute guys that were… well… human.

"I'm ready to go." And as I stole another look at Raphael, I had to silence the small voice at the back of my head that was trying to convince me I didn't _really_ want to go home at all.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Note:** I'm not sure if I'll regret this chapter in a few days or not. It seemed like such a great idea when I was writing it, but I hope to god it doesn't come back and bite me in the ass at some point in the future. This is what happens when I write chapters while I'm all hot and bothered. 

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**The REAL Cheese Monkey: **Again, thanks for the reviews! As for the Tupperware… well… It happened many years ago. I was drying out a large orange Tupperware bowl. And to this day, I'm not quite sure how I managed to do it, but somehow I flipped it up and it hit me right in the middle of the forehead. Which was embarrassing enough by itself, but it left a bruise for a couple days. It _almost_ broke the skin. But thankfully I was spared that humiliation. There was a witness unfortunately. And she LOVES to tell people the story.

**Mickis:** From here on out the doctors only get creepier. And in this chapter… well.. we get to see a bit more of Austin's pervy side. And Raph's. And the two of them being pervy together… well… it adds up to a whole lot more than I'd bargained for when I started writing the chapter. It was never supposed to go that far between them… -scratches her head- I'm not sure how to deal with this new unplanned development.

**Reluctant Dragon:** Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I've heard of that Anita Blake series referenced somewhere, but hadn't heard whether it was any good or not. I'll have to give it a try! Thanks!

**fireandsun: **As long as one perverted mind has been awakened with my writing, then my job here is done. Hehehe. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this last chapter in all its perverted glory.


	10. Dimly Lit Apartments

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. The Celestial Café belongs to me, and any similarity between any real people or places is totally coincidental.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **And here, we find out a bit more about Austin's time at the Institute, and why she isn't so shocked at finding mutant turtles in her city. I apologize for any grievous errors I might have made in this chapter. It's incredibly late and I've re-read and re-written this chapter so much I'm sick of it. :P

_FunFact: _Austin attended high school under the false name "Betty Krinkle" once she escaped from the Institute. Although, this isn't news to any of you who've read the Misadventures LJ. There was a meme posted there a couple days ago, filled out from Austin's point of view. Lots of interesting little tidbits in there that give some clues into what's going to happen in further chapters/sequels.

* * *

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 9**

_Italics _are Austin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

"_Hey kid. Kid, you ok?" The young child lying naked on the bed groaned softly, but didn't move. "C'mon kid, I know you can hear me. Wake up."_

_The child started whimpering. Austin "hmmphed" and sat down on the bed next to him. "Hey kid, it's ok." She was getting tired of babysitting all these little brats. When Dr. Adair discovered Austin had a calming effect on younger patients, he'd started sticking them in her room after their sessions. Too bad the effects weren't reversed. She only got frustrated with the children. "You got a name, kid?" This one was new though. She'd never seen him before. _

_She sighed and placed a hand on his back, gently rubbing. That usually helped soothe them. Austin honestly didn't know why she bothered. After the next session the kid would probably be just as bad, if not worse. That was how it always went. She didn't hate being roomed with the kids. What she hated was having to watch them go through a personal hell. One that she was all too familiar with. These kids were still thinking it was just a nightmare they'd soon wake up from. That everything was ok, and things would get better, and someone would come rescue them. If the last four years had taught Austin anything, it was that help wasn't coming. They were alone. Alone and at the mercy of the mad doctors that ran this place. And once the kids discovered that for themselves, she wouldn't need to calm them. Most of the children accepted it and retreated into themselves, not talking to anyone. The few that clung on to dreams were the ones that Austin hated to watch. She didn't want to see the hope in their eyes every time someone walked down the hall. She didn't want to see how their hearts broke when it wasn't rescue, but a doctor, coming to perform another test. _

_But yet she never refused to take a child in her room. If there was anything she could do to help the transition from freedom to slavery any easier, she'd do whatever she could. Even if it caused her more heartache than she was willing to admit. _

_Thankfully, she had Devon still. Sometimes. There was too much supernatural activity here, he said. "They" were keeping close tabs on this place, and he had to be extremely careful when he came around. He tried to arrive during her sessions with Adair, but sometimes it wasn't possible. Those were the times that were the most painful for Austin. Not in some mental confusion type of painful. No, this was all out electro-shock, body on fire type painful. _

_Dr. Adair was a sick, sick man. That was what she'd come to realize. When the electrodes were being stuck on her naked body, and she was being held down by leather straps, it was hard to think of him as anything but that. Somehow, Adair got it in his head that electric shock would help bring out Austin's 'psychic side'. Which was bullshit because she knew she didn't HAVE one. _

"_All you have to do is tell us what's on the cards, Austin. Tell us what's written there. Tell us what the picture is. Just tell us what we want to know and the pain will stop." That was all well and good when Devon was there to give her the answers. But when he wasn't there… Usually she blacked out from pain and didn't wake up again until she was back in her room. Those sessions made Dr. Adair very very cranky. _

_But her sessions were coming further and further apart now. He was getting bored with her. She wasn't 'improving' or 'expanding' her abilities and it frustrated him. And that made her more frightened then the thought of the sessions themselves. She'd seen what happened to the kids when they became useless. Or rather, she'd heard rumors. The kids would be there one day, and then the next, their cells would be empty. Austin was one of the few kids who actually had family on the outside though, so that might have bought her some time. Unfortunately… she hadn't heard from her family in three years. There had been one letter in the first year… then nothing. _

_As long as she was there to help with the younger children though… she might still get out of this place alive. And if not, she was determined to go down fighting. Though she had no idea how she would accomplish that. _

_With a sigh, Austin thought back to some of the kids she'd seen go through the facility. There was one little girl who couldn't have been more than three years old. She'd been bald, with skin that was just a few shades too red to be normal. Four fingers on each hand that had ended in needle sharp claws. That was the first one with physical abnormalities and Austin thought she was dreaming when she met the toddler. But it soon became normal to see such things around Level B._

_  
There was a boy covered in soft grey fur that had a cell just down the hall. During the few times they'd been allowed to talk, she'd asked him if he was a werewolf. "No," he'd said. "Just a freak radiation accident. You should see my sister. She looks like a lizard!"_

_And there was Jeremy across the hall. He looked relatively normal. Except for the naked thing. Austin could see into his cell now, courtesy of the glass front of their cells. Privacy was something she'd learned to live without. At least they had small walls around the toilet for a little modesty, but she showered, slept, ate, and lived under constant observation. Clothes weren't allowed to the Level B 'patients'._

_Jeremy saw her looking over and he smiled and waved. He must have been at least sixteen, and had been here the longest of all of them. He cooperated with Adair only because it made his life easier but he hated the good doctor just as much as Austin. Over time, they'd learned to read each other's hand gestures and lip movements and were now fairly capable of having silent conversations through the glass. Either Adair hadn't noticed, or just didn't care. Or maybe he thought they were communicating mentally and wanted to observe. It wasn't like they could break out of there together just by talking. Jeremy was a Telepath, though. Which was different than a psychic, he'd told her. Telepaths are more like a separate race. They can speak with other Telepaths through their mind, but it was impossible to do so with a non-Telepath. Psychics were able to delve into the minds of any normal human. _

_Unfortunately, his powers weren't strong enough to reach anyone that could help. Adair had been searching for an older Telepath that could train Jeremy to use his powers further, but finding a Telepath that would allow himself to be imprisoned and cut off from the rest of his race was proving difficult. "No shit." Had been Austin's amused reply. _

_With another sigh she turned back to the whimpering child and tried her best to comfort him. If she ever got out of this place, she was going to kill Adair. It would be long, and painful, and he'd beg for his life before she was through with him, but his life would be hers, and she'd take so much pleasure in it._

* * *

The moment we stepped out of the kitchen, everything had seemed to return to normal. The door frame was like a magic portal that whisked all our troubles away. …Ok, so maybe I'm only fooling myself, but it did seem to lighten the tension when we left the kitchen. I'd taken a deep breath and told myself nothing had happened. A silly little game that got out of control, but nothing terrible. Years from now I'd look back on this and laugh. _Hey Raph, remember that time you almost stripped me in the kitchen? Wasn't that a hoot? Haha! Good thing Leo didn't see anything! Can you imagine what he would have said? God, the look on his face would have been priceless though! _Yah. Someday it would be funny to look back on. Right now it was still a little too fresh in my mind. But I knew what would solve that problem. I just wouldn't think about it. That was always a good solution to your problems. Don't think about them, and they'll go away. …Yah right. 

Now though, I was sitting on the bed in the lab, and Donatello was hovering over me. He had insisted on taking one last look at my head before letting me go home. I couldn't complain though. I'd rather him look at it then have to go to a professional. He removed the bandages from my head gingerly and poked around at the cut.

"I had to put in a couple stitches, Austin. So be careful for the next few days, ok? It doesn't look infected yet, but make sure you keep an eye on it. Let me know right away if it starts to get worse."

I held up a little mirror and looked at the little black sutures. Oh god, I looked like hell. I hadn't realized how… _bad_ I looked until that moment. The skin around the gash was red and puffy and there was dried blood around the stitches. It started just below my hairline and ended right above my left eyebrow, slanting outward toward the side of my head just slightly. And it would definitely leave a scar. Well, wasn't that just peachy?

"Thanks Don." I sighed and set the mirror down next to me on the bed.

"Hey, no problem. I feel bad you didn't get to meet April yet though. She had to leave town for a few days, but she'll be back by next weekend. You'll have to meet her then. She's great." He dabbed at the cut with some antibiotics and I hissed sharply as it stung. "Sorry." He taped a smaller bandage over the cut and straightened up. "All done. Like I said, just watch out for infection. You don't even want to know how many germs there are down here in the sewers."

"Uhg."

"Exactly." He moved towards the door and I got up to follow him, grabbing my shoes. Just before he turned out the light though, he paused and pointed to where I'd discarded my bloody torn clothes. "Do you want to grab those before we go?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to touch them. There was still blood all over them and the thought made me restless. "Would you…" I stopped, my voice unsure. I didn't know if there was a polite way to ask him to get rid of the clothes for me. Besides… it _was_ almost a hundred dollars worth of clothes sitting there. Theoretically I could clean them or alter them somehow so the blood was gone… they didn't _have_ to go to waste. But I didn't want to touch them.

The turtles, as I was coming to realize, were well in tune with the feelings of those around them. I don't know if this was part of their mutation, or their ninja training, or if by some random whim of fate they just happened to be four very intuitive straight guys living in the same home. I wasn't going to bet on the latter. But Don seemed to know what I was thinking because he placed a hand gently on my shoulder and said, "Hey, don't worry about. I'll take care of them for you."

I nodded gratefully and turned my eyes away from the pile of clothes. "Thanks." I moved out the door before him, carrying my dirty shoes. Those I wasn't going to leave. I need something to wear while walking through the sewers. I'd throw them away when I got home. _Note to self, buy clean shoes tomorrow…_

* * *

"Well, that's it. Home, sweet home." The alley was dark where we were standing, and I knew no one would be able to see us from out on the street. I pointed to the well-lit café across the street. Since I'd taken vacation all this next week, Honey would be closing the café for me, but not until midnight. The Celestial was in a well kept neighborhood, and we had a lot of late night customers that usually hung around until the doors were locked. Honey was the closest to what you could call a friend, and I knew she got frustrated with how standoffish I could be. But she was nice, and a great person to work with. 

The café itself took up the bottom floor of the three story building. In a neighborhood of giant multi-leveled buildings, the little historic structure was practically dwarfed. But I'd fallen in love with it the moment I'd seen it, and had been living and working there happily for the last few months. Just inside the café was a beautiful wrought iron spiral staircase that led to a second level indoor balcony where customers could relax on couches and loveseats while listening to local pianists play the baby grand set up there. It was a fabulous little shop. And it had great insulation, so I hardly heard any noise from below when I was in my apartment.

I pointed to a gated alcove just to the left of the large glass windows of The Celestial. "That's the door to the stairs up to my apartment." I'd left both the gate and the door locked before I'd gone to the bar two nights ago. Reaching into my pocket for my keys, I smiled and turned to the guys. "You're more than welcome to come up. It's very secluded. There's only one window on the right side of the building, and it faces the wall of the next building over. No one would be able to see in unless they were kneeling on the fire escape."

"Oooh, can we, Leo? Please?" Mikey shifted excitedly from one foot to another. "Just for a little while?"

Leo frowned. I could tell he didn't particularly like the idea. Probably because of all how many people were around. There weren't really all that many, but enough that it was a risk.

"I can let you in the window." I added hopefully, but frowned almost immediately afterwards when I realized I'd overlooked a rather important fact. I didn't have my keys. "Shit…"

"What?" Asked Leo quickly, looking around as if assessing any dangers there might be nearby.

"I lost my keys!" I patted all my pockets again. There was no room for keys in the tight jeans. And they weren't in my pocket when I'd gotten undressed… "Did I have them when you found me?"

"Nope. Nothing in your pockets but ID." Raph offered not very helpfully.

When was the last time I'd seen them? I wracked my brain, trying to remember. Had I even taken them to the bar? There were only two keys on the key ring… one to the door of my apartment, and one to the street level door and gate of the building. I had to have had them to lock the gate… my purse. I'd put them in my purse. The one the punks had stolen.

"They took them! Those kids who jumped me!" I grunted in frustration. "Great? Now what am I gonna do? My only spare key is _in_ the apartment." And why didn't I notice my keys were gone sooner? I guess I did have a lot on my mind… But you'd think any sane person would have noticed before now. So… I guess that explains why I didn't notice.

"Heh. Leave it to me." Pulling a sai from his belt and twirling it in a rather obvious attempt at showing off, Raph grinned and melted into the shadows. He was gone before I knew what was going on.

"Um… what?"

Donatello rolled his eyes. "He's going to break into your apartment. He gets a kick out of stuff like that."

"Oh… he better not break the window." I stated with mild annoyance. "It will come out of my paycheck if he does." I desperately tried to remember if I'd left anything out in the open that might be considered embarrassing. As long as he didn't go into the bedroom, I think I'd be fine…

"Don't worry, he'll be careful."

Michelangelo snorted. "Careful? Raph? Where have _you_ been the last eighteen years, Donnie?" I chose to ignore that remark, and checked my pockets again, as if I thought the keys were going to magically appear.

Watching the people out on the street, I wondered how he was going to cross over. I hadn't seen him yet. But he was a ninja. I wasn't supposed to be able to see him move. "How long do you think it will take him?" I finally asked, looking across the street to where the door to the building was illuminated by a dim outside sconce.

"Depends on how well your window is locked." Don shrugged.

Leo said nothing, but kept his eye on the building across the street. If Raph had already gotten over there, I didn't see how. I knew these guys were good, but how good…?

"There." Leo pointed to the door that had opened just a crack.

"Holy shit, that was fast." I watched in amazement and an arm poked out and swiftly unscrewed the light on the wall next to the door. It happened so fast, if I hadn't been waiting for something to happen, I wouldn't have seen it. He was good.

"You must have crappy security, Austin." Mikey pointed out.

Leo gestured to the street. "Go ahead, Austin. Tell Raph to meet us back here."

"Awww, Leo. Can't we go in for just a little bit?" Mikey had the most pathetic puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen. I would have given in.

"I don't think it's a good idea. There are too many people. Another time, though."

I playfully punched Mikey on the arm. "Don't worry, I'm like a bad penny. You can't get rid of me, or whatever the saying is." I turned to Leo and smiled.

"I hope I can see you guys again soon."

"You will." Mikey grinned. "That's a promise." Leo just smiled, but I could see a bit of uncertainty in his eyes. He was still being cautious.

I nodded and gave them a last thankful look, then strode out from the alley, trying to look casual. I crossed the street illegally and flipped off the guy who slammed on his breaks to avoid hitting me. I may not have been born a New Yorker, but I could fit in with the best of them. Finally making it safely to the gate, I saw Raph had left it open just an inch.

"Hey, Austin!" I turned sharply at the unexpected voice.

"Oh! Oh, uh… hey Ken. What's up?" Ken was one of the chefs at the café. "What are you doing here this time of night? Your shift ends at five." I could see a movement near the door out of the corner of my eye. Raph was still waiting just inside. Probably ready to jump out and defend my honor or some ninja thing like that. He had nothing to worry about from Ken.

"Yah, I know. I was just checking on Honey. Gloria had to leave early, so I thought I'd stop by and help her close. I hope that's ok… I didn't okay it with Sharon, and I knew you were on vacation…"

"No, it's ok." I smiled. "Make sure you write your time down so you get paid the overtime."

"Hey, thanks!" He grinned, the bright whites of his teeth lighting up in the glow from the café windows. He was actually rather cute, and I had to admit I had a bit of a crush on him. I normally preferred blonds, but his smooth Asian features had a boyish charm that many a young woman had fallen for while working at the café. Not to mention he was an absolutely fantastic chef.

"No problem. I'll see you later, ok?" I opened the gate in what I hoped was a subtle gesture that I didn't have time to talk. He took the hint graciously and waved me off. "Don't work too hard." I called after him as I stepped inside the gate.

"I never do!" He laughed and pushed open the door of the Celestial, but paused. "Oh, hey Austin!"

"Yah?" I leaned out to answer.

"Are you ok?"

I gave him a confused look. "Yah, why wouldn't I be?"

He pointed to the bandage on my forehead. "Well, that looks pretty bad…"

"Oh." I reached up and touched the bandage lightly. "Oh, no. I'm fine. Just a little scratch. Nothing to worry about." I gave him a re-assuring smile and a thumbs up, but he still looked a little skeptical. "Really, Ken, it's nothing. Go help Honey, I'll be fine."

He reluctantly nodded and stepped into the café. I let out a sigh of relief and stepped into the alcove sliding the gate closed, and locking it securely. With one hand on the inner door, I reached up and twisted the light bulb back in. _Let there be light,_ I thought idly.

Stepping inside the dark hall, I closed the door; the lights and sounds of New York City dulled to a faint echo. "Raph?" I asked cautiously. I could make out a dim light from the top of the stairs. He must have turned on one of my table lamps.

"Right here."

"AH!" I cried out and jumped to the side. If he'd been any closer to me, I could have felt his lips on my ear. "Don't DO that." My heart was racing once again. But this time I knew it wasn't all from fear. There was a chemistry between us that made me feel just a tad uncomfortable. So I took the easy way out. I ignored it. "Leo said to meet back up across the street… in the alley."

"Did he." The tone of his voice said he couldn't really care less.

I glared at the dark shape beside me, then turned and took a few steps up the stairs. I didn't need to put up with this. What happened in the kitchen was a mistake, and I wasn't going to let it be repeated. Let him try and intimidate some other girl and get into her pants. I wasn't going to fall for it again. I took the steps quickly, not looking to see if he followed me. The light from my apartment lit the small landing and I stopped in the doorway. It was weird to be home. On one hand, it seemed unfamiliar; like I'd been away for so long I'd forgotten what it looked like. But then, it also felt safe. Secure. My little private life away from the bustle of the city. It was where I could be alone with Devon, and no one would bother me. Peace. Quiet. Solitude. …I didn't want to go in. I wanted to stay out in the hall where my life was still caught up with giant turtles and sewer hideaways. Where I didn't have to worry about what I knew I had to do tomorrow…

My eyes flicked to the notepad sitting on the little stand just inside the door. There was a name and a phone number visible on it. I'd written it there on Friday afternoon before heading to the bar. Devon had asked me to throw it away. He wanted me to get rid of it and never think about it again. It was a sore spot between us at the moment, just like so many things were right now. I tried to force myself to take a step into my apartment, but my feet didn't want to cooperate. What the hell was wrong with me? It's just my apartment. It's my home, my sanctuary. But I knew once I was inside… once Raph had gone and I was alone with Devon again… I'd be lonely. It was something he didn't understand. He couldn't comprehend why I'd want anyone else around. I'd tried to explain it once, but given up soon after. He just didn't get it.

I hadn't realized it myself until I'd moved to New York. All these years… all this time, I'd thought I didn't like people. I'd told myself that I'd only get hurt if I let then near me. But it was Devon telling me that… In a classic case of hero worship, I'd let him guide me along the path he thought I should take. I'd listened to him, followed him. Done everything he told me to, and avoided forming attachments to people. But it was becoming quickly obvious that there was something missing in my life; something that a dead non-corporeal brother just couldn't provide. I needed friends. I needed someone who cared about me… someone alive.

And someone alive was standing right behind me. I didn't jump at his voice this time. I'd expected it.

"Are we just gonna stand in the doorway all night, or are you gonna invite me in…?" He was dangerously close. I could feel his breath on my shoulder and it sent a shiver down my spine.

I moved forward, away from Raphael and stepped into the apartment, not bothering to turn and look at him. "Come on in."

The apartment was just as I'd left it. It was a wide open flat, with lots of space. Sometimes I thought it was a bit too much, but for the most part I was happy with it. Walking in the door, you can see a kitchen to the left, with island-like counters curving around in an angular semi-circle. It was perfect for entertaining guests, which I rarely did, because it was open to the rest of the apartment. Whoever is in the kitchen can freely converse with someone sitting in the living room area or with someone sitting on the barstools on this side of the counter. The living area was to the right of the front door just on the other side of a short half wall. I had a mismatched sofa and love seat set up around an oak coffee table, and there was a nice sized television against the wall of the apartment.

Directly across from the front door was the window Raph had broken in from. It looked like he'd been nice enough to close it again for me. And he hadn't actually broken the glass. I was impressed, if a bit worried, now that I knew how easily someone could get into my apartment. There wasn't an alarm on the third floor, after all. Left of the window was a second-hand round dinner table that was never actually used for dinner. Right now it held random papers and whatever else I'd felt the need to set down on it. To the other side of the window was my computer desk. If I'd skimped on decorations and fine furniture, it was because of the nice computer I had sitting on the cherry wood desk. I'd have to get Don to take a look at it, I thought as I slipped off my shoes just inside the door. I'd been having some virus problems lately.

The bedroom and the bathroom were the only rooms that were actually walled off, and they took up the front part of the third floor, towards the street. There was a small window that looked over the entrance of The Celestial, but I kept it closed and locked most of the time. The only way to get to the bathroom was through the bedroom. From the door of the bedroom, it was off to the left. But there was no way I was letting Raph go in there. Lord knows what I'd left lying around on my bed. Bras, panties, toys. Hey, I'm single, you can't blame me for a little bit of… self indulgence.

"Nice place." I could hear him close the front door, and that simple act seemed to make the apartment grew much too small.

"Thanks..." I finally looked at him. The only light on in the room was the lamp on the computer desk, and it threw eerie shadows all over the flat. And Raph… he looked… if there was one word to describe it… predatory. He was looking me over like some sort of juicy bit of prey, and it annoyed me… if only because I liked the way he was looking. I liked it a lot. There was a gleam in his eye that was much more than just a reflection of the lamp. He was leaning against the little half wall, arms crossed over his chest in a relaxed, almost lazy stance. But I knew he was anything but. His eyes followed my every move and I grew just a little nervous. He wouldn't try anything. Not here, not like this… He was an ass, but he wasn't a rapist, I told myself.

_Would it really be that bad…?_ I banished the thought as quickly as it came into my head. He's a turtle. A freakin' turtle. No… no, I wouldn't do this. It had been a while since I'd had a guy in my bed, and I was just giving into desperate thoughts. I wouldn't give in though, no matter _how_ sexy I thought he was right now… Besides… I didn't even know if he _could_… I mean… I didn't know too much about turtle anatomy, but there had to be something there, right? Realizing that my eyes were traveling too far south down his body for my liking, I tore them away, and hastily turned towards the kitchen. It was too dark. Much too dark. I needed to turn some lights on to help me clear my mind.

I should have been prepared for it, but it still caught me by surprise. My finger had been only inches away from the light switch when his hand caught mine around the wrist. I inhaled sharply as I could feel him move behind me. Much, much too close. He lowered my hand and gently released it, running a finger up my arm.

"Leave them off." His voice was low and rough, and I bit my lip to keep from gasping out loud. "I have a debt I'd like to collect on…"

I tried to step away from him but he grasped my waist with his hands and pulled me back with a growl that made me want to give in to whatever he wanted to do to me. I could feel the hard plates of his shell against my lower back, and I kept repeating to myself silently, _he's not human… god, he's not human…_ I opened my mouth to voice an objection, but forgot whatever it was I was going to say when his hands slid down my hips slowly and he found the top of my jeans. With an agonizingly slow touch, his fingers slid under the denim and circled around my waist until they met over the soft curve of my stomach. I whimpered quietly and found myself leaning back against him. I was weak. Damn… I was weak and I was easy. _He must think I'm a total slut…_ I was going to hate myself in the morning, I just knew it. I had to try and stop this, while I was still able…

"Raph… I can't…" It was a feeble attempt, and everything in my body and my voice told him otherwise.

"Why not?" He asked harshly, and I realized just how bad he wanted this. I could hear it in his voice... If I thought it had been a long time since I'd had a lover, I couldn't imagine how long it had been for him, if ever. I frantically weighed my options in my already confused head. It wouldn't be the first time I'd had a one night stand. Far from it. But… this wouldn't be a one night stand… I'd have to look him in the eye later… I'd have to spend time with him and his brothers… and… what if he wanted more from me? Or worse… what if he only wanted me once?

"We can't. Please… we can't…" His arms tightened around me and I knew I wouldn't be able to say no again. For what seemed like an eternity, all I could hear was our hard breathing in the dim apartment. I could feel the lightest of touches as his mouth brushed against the sensitive skin where my jaw met my neck. "Please, Raph…" I don't know if I was asking him to stop… or to continue… but I found myself whimpering in disappointment when he suddenly pulled away. I hadn't realized how warm he'd felt against me until his body was replaced with the cool air of the apartment.

I turned, almost afraid of what I'd see in his face when I did. He was standing a few feet away, just looking at me. I could see desire all over his face, but it was giving way to something else… determination? "We can't…" he repeated slowly… "Not now…" His mouth slid into a feral grin. "But we will." His words sent a chill through my body, but not unpleasantly.

I opened my mouth to object, just on principle, but he stepped up to me quickly, silencing my words with a finger to my lips. "Oh, we will, Austin. You're too much like me. You need it… you want it…" He lowered his hand and leaned in close, whispering softly. "It's going to happen, an you can't deny that." He was right… I couldn't. I'd known it since that moment in their kitchen. Raphael continued, his tone dangerous… almost challenging. "But I'll wait. You'll come to me, sooner or later. You know you will…"

I swallowed hard and reached a hand out to steady myself on the counter. He looked at me with victory in his eyes then turned away. He was leaving… just like that, he was leaving. He reached the window and had it open before I discovered I could move again. He couldn't just leave me here like this… that arrogant asshole!

"Raph!" I'd meant to sound angry… but it came out as little more than a squeak, a desperate, pathetic cry for attention.

He turned slightly, looking at me over his shoulder with a wicked smile. "See you around, Austin."

And then he was gone.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes: **Raise your hands if you think that Raphael is the most arrogant, frustrating guy ever? …at least in this chapter? Yah. I think I'd chase him down and jump him if he did that to me. And there'd be lots of hot steamy boinking in dark alleys. Anyway. That ends the major sexual tension for a little while. Now we're going to get into a little more of Austin's current situation, and you'll find out why exactly she's in New York. And who's phone number is sitting on her table? Hmmmm….. I wonder. 

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Reinbeauchaser:** To answer your question, yep! I do live in the Pacific Northwest. Up in Oregon, actually. Gorgeous state. I love it here. And as for the profanity… I think it just suits her character. Admittedly, I'm rather de-sensitized to bad language, so I don't have many qualms about using it in fic. With the relationship between Raph and Austin though, I just see them cursing at each other for little or no reason. Their personalities are just so… rough. But in future fics, especially one in the planning, I'm going to try to tone down the language. I hope the situations and language don't turn you off to this story in these latest chapters, though I understand if they do. From here on out, it shouldn't be so… um… steamy. At least not for a while.

**fireandsun: **Oooh, who wouldn't? You just KNOW he'd suggest strip poker at some point. Never mind the fact he's already naked… but that's a game I'd love to play.

**Reluctant Dragon: **Yep, lots of scary stuff happening at the Institute. But it's not all getting written down. Perhaps in later stories I'll delve into just how twisted Dr. Adair and his staff are, but for now, I'm just putting down the basics. I've got a lot of ground to cover. :)

**The REAL Cheese Monkey:** Yes, Devon is a little snot, isn't he?

**Pretender Fanatic: **I didn't really see it as degrading Austin, because she really was asking for it. –g- But my Raph isn't dishonorable. He would have stopped if she'd said no. But she was willing, because.. well.. she's kinda crazy like that. And as for what happened in this chapter… well… Raph is just playing with her now. …but she likes it. So she's probably going to play back.

**red turtle:** Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed the rest of the story up to this point!

**Isis-Lament: **Well, as the flashback in this chapter reveals, Austin's met mutants before. And she knows they can be just as human as she. And she's a sucker for muscular men, no matter what species they may happen to be…. And apparently I'm still in a bit of a 'hot and bothered' mood, as the end of this chapter implies…. But you just knew Raph wasn't going to let it drop after being interrupted by Leo like that. So I had to tie up that little thread before continuing with the main story. …Austin's going to be REALLY pissed when she realizes what an egotistical jerk he was being by saying those things to her… But for now, I think she's going to go take a cold shower.

**kaya lizzie:** Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. –winkwink- Now that Raph's got it out of his system and made his intentions clear, I can get on to what I really need to write. The SExxXXX! scene. … Or. Y'know. The main story. Whatever. :)

As for Raph knowing what he's doing… I'm sure he's had a few experiences with women… which I won't go into detail, otherwise I'll need to go take a couple cold showers myself. But he also strikes me as one of those guys who's just so strong-willed, and passionate, he just knows what to do to Austin to make her melt. If she had a personality more like say… Leo, he wouldn't be getting very far with her. If that makes sense.

And, the writing question… for this story, I find it easier to write 1st person. Probably because I spent so much time thinking about Austin and fleshing her character out. My next story is going to be 3rd person…. Hopefully. It will be a bit harder to write, but I'm up for the challenge. It won't contain any OC's, at least not at first. The biggest challenge I see in writing 1st person is making the character stay original, and in character. Austin's evolved somewhat since I wrote the first few chapters, and I constantly have to go back and revisit, and make sure I don't contradict myself. Really though, I think it depends on the type of story you're telling, and how the writing would best reflect that. So… um. Yah. That's what I think about that. … ;)


	11. The Phone Number

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. The Celestial Café belongs to me, and any similarity between any real people or places is totally coincidental.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **The **Important announcement** that was originally here has been moved to the Misadventure's LJ. Feel free to respond there, or here.

_FunFact:_Austin's last name was originally going to be Teller. I changed it while writing the first chapter because… well… I decided I didn't like it anymore. It became Bridger, named after one of my favorite fictional characters, Capt. Nathan Bridger, from the TV show SeaQuest DSV. Here's hoping they someday release it on DVD. (RIP, Jonathon Brandis. I always wanted to marry you...)

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 10**

_Italics _areAustin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

_There was an unsettling air about Level B. Dr. Adair was gone. He hadn't been seen for a couple days, which probably meant he was away from the Institute. It didn't happen very often, but usually when it did, all the kids breathed a sigh of relief. It meant a break from the tests… the torture. This time though… this time something was different. Austin didn't know what it was, but she could feel it with every breath she took. Something was going to happen. And it was going to happen soon. Spending all this time surrounded by the weird and unnatural, she'd developed a bit of a sixth sense. Nothing quite like what Adair thought she had, but enough so that she knew there was something different. The energies floating around Level B tonight were charged, electric. It was going to happen very soon… _

_She sat up on her bed, listening. Looking across the dimly lit hall, she could just make out Jeremy standing at the glass, staring intently down the corridor. He felt it too. She jumped out of the bed and raced to the glass panel. Jeremy looked at her and grinned, his eyes dancing in the dark, and his sandy blond hair reflecting the blue 'locked' signal that meant his door was securely closed. Further down the hall, she could see the dark shapes of the other cell's inhabitants as they all came to stand at the windows. Something was definitely going to happen… _

_There were only five kids left down here, including Austin. Last week, Sadie, the little red-skinned girl had disappeared… no one knew where she'd gone, but Austin knew she wasn't dead. No, she'd been moved someplace where she'd be more easily contained. The girl's claws had grown sharp enough to break the glass. She'd broken out twice in the past month, despite being drugged. Austin shuddered to think where they'd taken her. Anyplace that could hold her had to be infinitely worse than the Greensage Institute. _

_Harold, the grey furred boy was still here, but his sister had been "removed" from the program a month ago for reasons unknown to Austin. Harold had taken it hard, retreating into himself and not speaking to anyone since. Austin really couldn't blame him though. She knew what it was like to lose a sibling, but the loss of Harold's sister hadn't affected her much so Austin didn't dwell on the subject. It was just one more item in a long list of reasons why Adair had to die, in her opinion. _

_There was a dark haired boy in the cell next to Jeremy who was rumored to be part demon. He looked normal, but the stories circulating around Level B said that when he drank human blood, he prophesied the end of the world. She had no way of knowing if that was true, but every time the boy was returned to his cell he shook with fright, and then stood in the shower for at least an hour crying and washing his own mouth with soap. Austin was guessing if the stories were true, he wasn't drinking the blood of his own free will. She wouldn't be surprised if Adair himself was shoving it down the boy's throat. And she didn't want to know where the blood was coming from..._

_The last occupant of Level B was a blond haired, blue eyed, grim faced girl that looked to be about Austin's age. Her name was Marina, and she'd arrived only a few months before Austin. They'd never been allowed to speak, but Jeremy said she was WaterMagi. Austin had been extremely interested in learning about Magi. Apparently there were four separate Magi races, one for each element: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. The powers of the Magi were passed down from mother to daughter, or father to son. Only women could be WaterMagi, and only men could be FireMagi. EarthMagi and AirMagi were more common, and both sexes could control the powers. But Magi were still extremely rare, no matter which element they controlled. They were a dying race, and with each generation the powers faded. How Adair had managed to find one, let alone capture her and take her from her family, Jeremy had no idea. The doctor must have covered his tracks extremely well, otherwise there would have been a gathering of WaterMagi at the institute, and they would have made The Great Flood of the Bible look like a spring shower in an attempt to get one of their own back. _

_After all the things she'd seen at the Institute, nothing held surprise for her anymore. _

_Now, all five of the Level B prisoners were standing at the glass windows, watching. Waiting. Praying to whatever deities they believed in that help had come at last. _

"_We're getting out of here, Munchie." Austin stole only a quick glance at the ghost beside her. He was watching the hallway just as intently as she was. _

"_What's happening, Devon?"  
_

"_Just wait… it should be any minute now… It's going to be so fucking awesome." _

"_Devon, wh-" _

"_Watch." _

_When it happened, she'd been staring so attentively at the hall that even though she knew something was going to happen, it took her by surprise when it finally did. Her room was supposed to be soundproof, but she heard the explosion. It started as a muffled roar, followed by a flash of light. Austin had to shut her eyes to keep from being blinding by the sudden firestorm that raced through the hall. Just before she lost her sight though, she swore she saw a huge chunk of metal fly past her window. There was a screeching, metal on metal as the security door that used to be on one end of the passageway now skidded to a halt at the other end. The fire died down and Austin was able to open her eyes again, though some sparkles were still dancing in front of them. _

_There was light coming from the end of the hall where the door had been literally, blown off its hinges, but no movement. Then, there was a crackle of the overhead intercom system, and a cheerful voice came over the speaker. _

"_Hello, my name is Lucas and I'll be your rescuer for this evening." _

_Lucas... Austin thought swiftly. That was the name of the boy on Level A. The one that could control fire... A FireMagi. He was a FireMagi, she realized now. She'd forgotten about him. She forgotten about most of the kids on Level A. Lucas continued to speak on the intercom. _

"_I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Matthew Adair for his gracious hospitality while we've been here. However, myself and some friends have decided we've had enough of his bullshit, and would like to get out of here. Raise your hand if you agree?"_

_Austin gaped, wide mouthed at Jeremy. He was grinning from ear to ear and waving his hand frantically in the air. _

"_Ah, that's good, I see most of you would like to get out of here as well. What about you? The brown-haired naked girl in the first cell. You want out?"_

"_Wave your arm, dipshit!" Devon laughed. He was in an exceptionally good mood, for good reason. Austin raised her hand mechanically and waved it once. She was going to get out… for the first time in four years, she was going to be free. She couldn't believe it._

"_Ahhh, I see it's unanimous. Ready? Good, let's blow this joint. Literally." There was a maniacal laugh, and the intercom shut off. _

_And the doors opened. And Austin was free._

_

* * *

_

"And just what, exactly, the hell was that?" It figures that Devon had been watching. The little perv. I slammed the window shut that I'd been staring blankly out of. Raph was nowhere to be seen. He'd disappeared quick and left me steaming… in more ways than one. Half of me wanted to scream into the night at him to get back in here and finish what he started. The other half wanted to scream at him to never show his face in my apartment again.

"What was what?" I asked feigning innocence, turning to face the pissed off ghost next to me.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Austin. You. The turtle. What the hell?" His luminescent form was practically radiating anger.

"Ooooh, no. Don't you DARE try to put the blame on me. You're the one who told me to take that stupid bet."

"Oh come on, I didn't think you'd actually do it."

"Don't give me that crap, Devon. You knew I would. You were just on your petty little revenge trip because I shut you out earlier. You wanted to embarrass me. You just didn't expect me to _enjoy_ it." I smirked at him as I lowered the bamboo blinds on the window. "I guess that one came back and bit you in the ass, didn't it?"

"He's not human, Austin!"

"Neither are you, anymore. But I still spend time with you."

"That's completely different and you know it."

"Oh boo-hoo. Get over it, Devon. Nothing happened."

"Didn't it?"

"What bug crawled up your dead ass? _Nothing happened_."

"And what if it does?"

"Jealous? He isn't really your type, Devon."

"That's sick. He's _not human_." Had he a physical form, I'm sure Devon would have taken me by the shoulders and tried to shake some sense into me. As it was, he could only float around in an agitated way and point at me for emphasis. "We don't need this complication. Tell him you don't want to see him anymore."

"No."

"Listen to me, Austin. He's only going to make things worse. Him and the others. I thought you wanted a normal life, Austin. How do giant turtles fit into a normal life?"

I bit back a scathing remark. He was right. I'd come to New York to resolve the last of my issues and get on with my life. But part of a normal life was having friends… and I didn't have any of those yet, thanks to Devon.

"They treat me like I'm normal…" I said softly, the fight dying in my face, my eyes turning to the ground. I wanted them to be my friends. I wanted it so bad it hurt.

"They can't be part of a normal life, Austin."

"Neither can you." I said the words so quietly, so quickly, I wasn't sure if he'd caught them at first. But when he didn't answer, I looked up into his face. I was amazed at the range of emotions I saw in his transparent features. He looked shocked. Hurt. Angry. Sad… and maybe just a little guilty.

"Devon, I'm… god, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." I was horrified. I cupped my hand over the mouth, but the damage was already done. I'd never said anything like that to him before. I may have thought it… but never would I have said it out loud… I loved Devon. I needed him around. I owed him so much… What was wrong with me?

The anger took over his face once again and he crossed his hands over his chest. "Get rid of him, Austin. You don't need him. You don't need him, and you don't need his brothers. I've worked too hard to get you here. We don't need this, complicating things."

We. He should have said 'We'. 'We've worked too hard…' or even 'you'. But no… no he said 'I'.

I knew how I should have responded. I should have stood my ground. I should have faced him and told him to go to hell. I should have told him that it was my life, and I was going to live it how I wanted. But I couldn't. All I could do was stand there and hang my head. I didn't trust my voice to speak, so all I did was nod, my arms hanging limply at my side.

"Austin… this is for your own good." His voice had softened, but it was still firm, in control. "You know that, don't you? You can't get caught up with people like that again. Remember what happened last time? Remember what you had to leave behind when you finally left?"

_People like that._ He didn't mean mutants. He meant people who cared about me. People who treated me normal. People who would have died for me. I hadn't left because I'd wanted to; I'd left because Devon told me I should. Because he saw I was drifting away from him, and he needed to sink his hooks back in before I was out of his grasp. I was young, stupid, and still in the mindset that Devon knew best. So I'd left… And to this day, I'd regretted that decision. If there was one thing that could have snapped me back into anger, it was that sentence, right there. My head flew up, my eyes blazing, and my jaw set firm. It surprised him. I could see him recoil at the sudden change in manner. "What I left behind? And what did I leave behind, Devon? People who loved me? A family? We all escaped from that Institute together, and I was happy with them! But you. _You_. You couldn't have that, could you? You had to get me away from them! You want me to have a normal life as long as it doesn't include _being_ normal!"

They had been my family after leaving the Institute. I refused to go home, and most of them didn't have one to begin with. We helped each other stay alive, and stay free. But even among them, I was by myself. Devon always kept me at a distance, and I'd foolishly thought it was because he was protecting me. I'd stayed with the others for four years. Then, just before my seventeenth birthday, I left. I still remember the look on Jeremy's face when I walked out the door…

I took a step forward. Devon took a step backwards; probably a habit left over from a life gone by. Everything seemed to be coming back to me all at once. The last few days… the last few weeks. The last few years. It had been building. I'd known it had. It had been building since that day I'd left Jeremy and struck out on my own, and now after the stress of the last couple days it was all spilling out.

"I was happy there, Devon! Can you even possibly get that through your head? I was HAPPY! And you made me leave!"

"Austin… I…" He seemed at a loss for words. I'd never blown up at him before like this, and I knew I was being harsh. But sometimes, things just need to be said.

"I can't have a normal life, Devon! I can't have one because of you! No matter where I go I'll never be normal until you get out of my life!" The words seemed to echo through the dim apartment, with a finality that I really hadn't meant. I know I didn't mean it. I didn't really want Devon gone, did I? But yet I'd said it. I'd said it loud and clear, and he'd heard. If there had still been blood running through his body, his face would have gone pale. He stared at me, in such shock, I wondered if perhaps I'd killed him. Again.

He said nothing, only looked at me. I stood shaking, partly from anger, partly from horror at what I'd said. I wanted him to react. I wanted him to yell at me, and call me names and tell me what to do. That would mean everything was ok. Everything would be fine, and we'd both calm down and apologize, and talk like civilized people. That's how our arguments always ended. But he said nothing…

And then he vanished.

He'd never done that to me before. He'd never just vanished after a fight. But our fights were never like this. We shouted, we cursed, and we said things we didn't mean. But I'd gone too far this time, and I knew it. It was like a lead weight had been dropped in my stomach. There was a sudden tightening in my chest, and I had to catch myself on the computer desk, else I would have fallen over. My jaw tightened and I thought that if I even made one sound, every emotion in my body would be let loose, and I wouldn't be able to stop the flood of tears that threatened to flow.

"Devon?" I cried weakly, knowing he wouldn't answer. He was gone. But he'd be back, wouldn't he? _He has to come back… he won't leave me here. He won't._

But I couldn't convince myself. With a hoarse cry, I crumpled to the floor. Tears began to flow, and I pressed myself against the wall, underneath the window. He'd be back.

I closed my eyes, hugging my knees tightly to my chest. And I cried. He had to come back.

* * *

The ringing of the phone woke me the next morning. I almost wished that I'd forgotten what had happened last night, but I hadn't. I'd dreamt about it, replaying it over and over in my head. When I woke, there was no doubt what had happened. Devon was still gone. And I was sore. 

Sleeping on hard wood floors is not a pleasant experience. I pulled myself to a sitting position, groaning at the aches in my muscles. My sleep had been restless, fidgety. My face felt like I'd been grimacing all night, and only now were the muscles beginning to relax in a prickly, painful way. Through blurry eyes I looked over at the ringing cordless handset sitting on kitchen counter. Never before had standing up seemed to take so much effort. I stumbled to the phone, just barely managing to pick it up before the answering machine.

"Hello?"

"Yes, may I speak with Sheila, please?"

I groaned. I'd gotten up for a freakin' wrong number. I growled into the phone, "Wrong number." And then I hung up.

I stumbled towards the bedroom, holding my head in one hand. I just needed a hot bath. A nice hot bath, and then I'd call for Devon, and he'd show up, and I'd apologize, and we'd be fine. I wouldn't even allow myself to think of what I'd do if he didn't come back.

I stripped off the clothes that Donatello had gotten from that friend of his, and tossed them on the floor. I'd wash them and get them back, if I saw him again. I swallowed back that thought. Devon had been right. Four giant turtles weren't going to fit into my life, if I wanted to live normally. I could finally think a little clearly with Raph gone. A ghost, I could work with that. I'd done it most of my life, and I could continue to do it. But… he was right. I couldn't keep seeing them. I couldn't be friends with them. I'd have to tell Leo. Of all four of them, he'd be the one that understood. And Raph… well… he'd leave me alone if Leo told him to. _Yah, right._ I'd just have to cross that hurdle when I came to it.

I picked up a brush from the top of my dresser and stepped into the bathroom. As I looked at myself in the mirror above the sink, I realized that maybe warding off Raphael wouldn't be that hard. All I had to do was invite him over right now, actually. He'd take one look and probably run screaming. I stared at my reflection, wondering when the last time was that I'd looked this bad. The bandage on my forehead was half falling off, and the dark bruising around the stitches was covered in bloody ooze. My bloodshot eyes were puffy and it was obvious I'd been crying. My hair… oh god, my hair. The long tangled brown curls fell everywhere in a frizzy mess. I realized I hadn't combed my hair in over two days. It was going to hurt like hell to get all the knots out.

I cringed and dabbed at the stitches with a damp cloth. First things first, get rid of the blood. When that was done, I tossed the hand towel into the hamper. It took me almost ten minutes to get all the tangles out of my hair, but I finally managed. Then I finally, mercifully, I slipped into the hot scented water that filled the old fashioned claw foot tub. If there was one thing I loved about this bathroom, it was the tub. It was huge, and on more than one occasion, I'd shared it with an eager lover.

A brief flash in my mind of Raph in the tub with me sent me blushing, and I banished the thought. No, that was going to end right here and now. No more lusting after the turtle. _But… the tub IS big enough…_ I sighed and closed my eyes, sliding deeper into the water. It was time to think about other things.

Like the phone number sitting on the end table. Today was Monday, so I should call. I'd taken this whole week of vacation for this specific reason. And the longer I put it off, the harder it would be to call.

_What if she doesn't want to talk to me? What if she doesn't even remember me? What if she hates me? What if she's been looking for me?_ What if, what if, what if. It was all a question of what if.

Susan Bridger had abandoned her family when she was eighteen. The last time I'd seen her, I was two. I don't even remember what she looked like when she left. Devon had told me stories though. Stories of how pretty his sister had been. How she could light up a room with a smile. And she'd always been so creative, so graceful. She'd done ballet, piano, art. She excelled in everything. She was everything I wasn't. But she'd loved me, and it had been hard to leave me. Devon said she'd kissed me goodbye with tears in her eyes, then left before she could change her mind.

I wanted to find her. I wanted to know if I even had one family member who still cared about me. If she had tried to find me… I'd been a runaway. I'd hardly had any contact with my old life, and if she'd looked for me, I wouldn't have known. Now it was time to find out.

Devon hadn't wanted me to find her. At first glance, I'd thought it was because of the same reason he didn't want me to get close to anyone. He was jealous. Jealous of his own sister. But… I'd realized it was deeper than that. The things he said, the way he said them… I'd realized that this time, he was afraid of me getting hurt. He didn't want me to find Susan because he knew something I didn't. He knew she wasn't going to want me back in her life. Not after all this time.

But I had to try. I had to make the effort, and if she turned me away, the least I could say was that I had tried.

* * *

The phone number seemed to mock me. I'd been staring at it steadily for almost an hour now. I had the numbers memorized; I'd memorized them before I'd ever written them down. It was almost noon, and I was starving, but I was afraid I'd throw up if I tried to eat anything. With a deep breath I picked up the phone. I dialed the number slowly, but just before I punched in the last digit, I turned the cordless handset off. I must have done that twenty times by now. 

I wished Devon was here. He knew how important this was to me. He would have supported me through it, even though he didn't agree with my decision to contact her. But Devon still wasn't here. I'd called for him twice since getting out of the bath, but there had only been silence here in the "real" world. I was trying not to think about it. He'd be back…

I set my face in a determined grimace and picked up the phone again. I dialed quickly, giving myself no time to change my mind. When the phone started ringing on the other end, my heart skipped a beat. I wasn't sure I'd be able to form any words when the line was picked up, but at least I'd made it this far. There was a click, and a woman's voice.

"Susanne Carmine Fashions, how may I direct your call?"

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes**: Muahahaha! Now enter, the elusive Susan. Yes, indeed, she is the same Sue Carmine from the TV broadcast in an earlier chapter. (Chapter 5, I believe. The Painted On Jeans chapter) Wife of a New York Senator. Sue went and got herself famous after leaving her family. Sorry for the lack of turtles in this chapter. I will make it up to you all in the next one, I promise. 

**IMPORTANT NOTICE:** Edited, please go to the Misadventures LJ for more info.

**And now, Notes to My Reviewers:**

**Reinbeauchaser:** I haven't actually tried my hand at writing NC-17 yet. I've thought about it… but I'm just not sure. I do like to see how steamy things can get without actually getting graphic. It's kind of a test of skills. If I can get all those readers worked up with just a little careful description, well then, my work here is done! Or… maybe that means it's just starting…

And Austin… poor Austin. I'm really screwing with her past here. There's still some more twists coming soon. Although, I'm saving some for the sequel. Afterall, the flashbacks are only covering the points that are relevant to the story right now. Next chapter we find out a little more about Austin's parents, and what's been happening to them since they sent her away.

**Isis-Lament: **Yah, I almost had to kick Austin for not kissing him. Mmmm, I know I would have. Considering her past… I'm surprised she didn't. But there's still the whole 'turtle' thing to consider. And his brothers were waiting for him. I mean, how awkward would it have been to be going at it on the kitchen counter only to have Mike or Don come in the window? Or worse, Leo? Hehehe. Hm… that might make for an interesting "What If" story…. ponders I just might have to get me an account…. ;)

**Reluctant Dragon:** I try to update at least once a week, if not more. I work 12-hour shifts and most of that time is spent brainstorming. (I'm rather good at what I do, if I do say so myself. It allows me a lot of time for story planning while I'm doing my job.) And then I write for an hour or so when I get home… and on my nights off, I spend almost all night writing. …Or trying to write. I get distracted by other fics and such…

And oh! I started out in the X-Men fandom! In fact, the first fan-fic I ever read was X-Men. …it was an NC-17 fic, and it was Archangel-Psylocke… I still remember it to this day. I guess it must have made an impact. ;)

**Kellie Fay: **Thanks for the review! I find that writing the Raph-Austin scenes always helps warm my room up a bit…. –g-

**kaya lizzie:** The sad thing is, Raph KNEW he had her. He could have pulled her into the bedroom and that would have been that, but he decided to toy with her instead. The arrogant sonuva… But, that's just part of the attraction, I suppose. And Austin is kicking herself right now… I would be too, if I were her. Because with an attitude like that, you just KNOW he's gonna be a good lover.

**Amberli Raven: **I'm glad you're enjoying the story! (I know I say that to all new reviewers, but I do mean it). I really appreciate the support.

**fireandsun:** Heh. Yes… Raph and poker… Mmm.. I'm glad I wrote that chapter now. I wasn't too sure when it first came out, but I think it's working in to the story fine. It also gave me some ideas for future chapters and stories. Perhaps later on, they'll get together and play again. Upping the stakes a little this time, of course….

**The REAL Cheese Monkey:** You're telling me! Raph sure seems to have a mind of his own in my story. I can hardly control him! Not sure I want to though… I like unbridled, uncontrollable Raph. That's the best kind of Raph there is.


	12. Telephone Calls

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. The Celestial Café belongs to me, and any similarity between any real people or places is totally coincidental.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **Ok, this chapter starts out with the regular flashback, then we move to third person Leo and Don. This section jumps back to the previous night after the turtles return home, then forward to "present time" first person Austin. If that makes sense. If it doesn't… oh well. Too bad for you.

_FunFact:_ Dr. Adair is still very much alive, to those of you who have wondered.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 11**

_Italics _areAustin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

"_You don't need to do this, Austin. There's other ways… You already have a diploma."_

"_No way, Devon." Austin glared at the ghost floating next to her as she walked up the gravel path to the old red Craftsman style home that probably hadn't been re-painted in 20 years. She was trying hard not to pay attention to the scenery. It had been nine years since she'd seen this place, and she had no intention of staying long enough to get reacquainted with it. "There's no way in hell I'm living out my life as 'Betty Krinkle'. Where the fuck did you come up with that name, anyway? If I'd have cared what anyone thought, I'd have been laughed out of that high school." _

"_Still… we can find a different name. One that isn't so silly. You don't have to do this!"_

"_You've been nothing but a pain since I told you I was coming back here. What's wrong, Devon? It's not like I'm going to stay here. I just want my birth certificate, then we're gone. They can't throw me back in the Institute. It burned to the ground, remember? And I turned eighteen last week, so they can't force me to live with Terri and Bill. We'll be gone in less than five minutes." _

"_Austin, listen to me." Devon's voice turned firm and she stopped to look at him. His jaw was firmly set, and she realized that there was something more going on in his head then he wanted to admit. "You don't want to do this. Just get back in the cab, and we'll go back to California." _

"_What are you hiding, Devon? What's so bad about this place that you don't want me here?" _

"_It has nothing to do with this place…" He looked like he wanted to say more, but the clanging of a screen door tore Austin's attention away. _

_She looked, and standing on the dirty sun bleached porch no less than a few yards away, a woman stood. "Can I help you?" Terri was old. A hell of a lot older than Austin remembered her. The last time she'd seen her mother was ironically, in the exact spot where she was standing now. But the few strands of grey in her hair had grown, and now instead of a distinguished streak, there was a full head of grey. The hard lines in her face spoke volumes of her life. If Austin didn't know better, she'd think that the years had been even worse to Terri than they were to her. The woman on the porch looked like she'd been drug through the depths of hell and come out stronger on the other side. She was strong, firm. She was not a woman to be messed with. _

_This was not the Terri that Austin had thought she'd find. Images of the small, scared woman in the thin nightgown at the bottom of the stairs had filled her mind; and the same small, scared woman that stood in a pretty sundress and watched her daughter scream and cry as she was taken away in a black car that read "Greensage Institute" on the side. _

_Austin took a step towards the porch and looked up at the woman who'd abandoned her nine years ago. She said nothing. There was so much she'd planned on saying; yelling, cursing, accusing her mother of leaving her to die in that hell. But now that the moment was here, there seemed to be no words that could sum up all she was feeling. _

"_My god…" Terri gasped and covered her mouth. "Austin…?"_

_Austin nodded once, her expression cold, hard._

"_My god, you're alive… you're alive!" Her face broke out in a smile that Austin felt no urge to return. Terri flew down the stairs unexpectedly and pulled Austin into her arms, laughing and crying and running her fingers through the long brown hair that hung in limp curls at Austin's back. The touch stunned the younger woman for a moment, but then she reacted violently, wrenching herself out of her mother's grasp. _

"_How dare you?" Austin screamed. "How DARE you even think of touching me like that?" Terri stepped back, visibly shocked, tears of happiness still clinging to her cheeks. "Do you have any idea what you put me through? I didn't come here for some happy family reunion, Terri. I only want one thing from you." _

_Terri started to tremble, and clutched a hand to her chest. "Austin…?", was all she could say. _

"_My birth certificate. I want it, and then I'm leaving." _

"_Your…birth certificate?" Terri blinked as if she'd never heard of such a thing. Her mind was racing with emotions. Her baby, her little girl was home. But this wasn't her little girl any more. She realized with a start that she didn't know who this young woman standing in front of her was. Her baby had died. Probably back in that horrible institute… and she knew it was her fault. Years of blaming herself were finally being justified and she fought back a sob of grief. The moment she'd dreamed of for almost a decade was turning into the nightmare she always knew it would be. _

"_My birth certificate. I want it." Austin repeated coldly. _

_Terri's face paled and she choked out, "Why? Why do you want it?"  
_

"_Why do you think? I'm eighteen now. And unless I have that certificate, I can't do shit in the real world. Go get it for me. I'll wait outside." Austin wasn't used to giving orders, but she wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. And there was no way she was stepping foot inside that house ever again. _

"_Austin… please…"  
_

"_I'm not interested in anything you have to say, Terri." _

_They stood, looking at each other for a very long time before Terri finally hung her head in defeat. "Okay. Okay, I'll… I'll go get it."_

_

* * *

__Austin waited on the bottom step of the porch, leaning against the old rock column that held up the porch roof. Terri had been gone only a few moments before Austin heard the creak of the screen door again. She looked up to see the older woman standing just in front of the door, her body tense. _

"_Austin…" _

"_I already tol-"  
_

"_I know." Terri interrupted. The strength had returned to her face, as if she'd finally realized that Austin was no longer hers; realized it and accepted it. "I know you probably don't want anything to do with me… but I have to tell you this, Austin." _

_Austin turned her head away, but didn't say anything. _

"_I love you, Austin." The younger woman snorted in disbelief. "I thought what I was doing was for the best, you have to understand that. I know now that I was wrong… I should have realized there was something wrong at that place…" _

_Austin bit back a reply. She didn't want to get into this. She wanted the damn piece of paper, and she wanted to get out of here. _

"_Austin… Austin, please look at me." She finally did, meeting Terri's eyes. "Austin… I've always loved you. Your fa-.." She cut herself off. "Bill… he didn't want you. He wanted me to give you up. If there was one thing in my life I stood up to him for, it was to keep you. You have to know that, Austin." _

_Terri glanced down at the birth certificate in her hand. "Susan… she…" She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "She left you with us. And I loved you like my own daughter, Austin. You were mine. And I loved you…" Her voice trailed off. _

_Austin had pushed herself away from the pillar and had been reaching for the certificate when she stopped. Her eyes met the older woman's, and the words finally sunk in. Terri… Terri wasn't her mother. She snatched the paper from Terri's hands and stared at it. Her mother's name was Susan Rene Bridger. Not Terri. Susan. The older sister she'd never met wasn't her sister… she was Austin's mother. _

"_I know you don't remember… you were only two when she left you here. I'd meant to tell you Austin… but you were too young. And then everything happened so fast, and I lost you again… I'm so sorry, Austin. I wish I could make you believe me." Her voice was low and soft. She wasn't asking to be forgiven. And Austin didn't want to forgive her. _

_This revelation wasn't as shocking as some people might have thought it would be. Austin took it in stride. This was just another small annoyance in her life, compared to some of the things she'd been through. She turned to leave, the certificate tight in her hand. _

"_Austin…" _

"_Goodbye, Terri." And she didn't look back._

_

* * *

_

Donatello wasn't one for cursing; he found the whole concept to be a bit juvenile. Besides, Raphael used enough cuss words to more than make up for the ones his brothers didn't use. Every once in a while however… every once in a while a situation arose where there was nothing else that was appropriate to say, except a curse. Right now was such a time.

"Holy mother of God…"

Ok, so it wasn't the most creative curse ever, but it fit the moment. He stared at the computer screen, wanting to not believe what he'd just seen. It was too disturbing. And yet… he'd seen enough in his eighteen years to know that it was entirely possible that such a thing had happened. The cruelty of humans never ceased to amaze him. If what he'd discovered had actually taken place, then he now felt he had a greater understanding of the workings in Austin's head.

After arriving back home, he'd taken to the internet to do a little bit more digging into Austin's background. It wasn't just for his own comfort; Leo had subtly hinted that it might be helpful to know more about her. And finding things out was what Don did best. Although this time, he wasn't sure it had been such a great idea. He stared at the screen for a few more minutes then slowly stood up, closing the files he'd illegally downloaded. Sometimes he hated being so smart. It meant he found out things like this.

He turned the light off in his lab and unhurriedly made his way through the lair. Raph and Mike were watching some thriller on late night TV. Ironically, it had to do with illegal experimentations on innocent people. He stopped and watched for a few minutes, then quickly stepped away from the room, afraid he might be sick. Don made his way down the hall, then stopped in front of his eldest brother's door. He raised his hand to knock gently, but the door opened before his knuckles had even made contact.

"I take it you found something?" Leonardo flicked the light off in his room, not seeming at all surprised to see Donatello standing there.

"Is it that apparent?"

"To me, yes. You've been growing more and more agitated over the last hour. I could sense it from all the way in here."

Don reached up and rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "Yah… sorry about that. It's just… well… I've found out some pretty disturbing things."

"First, tell me this. Do you think Austin's going to be a problem? I need to know now, Don, before any of us get too close to her."

"It's not like that, Leo. I don't think we have anything to worry about, really. At least not from Austin. I mean… you were here. You could sense the same thing the rest of us could. She may have her secrets, but after what I found out, I understand why she's keeping them."

Leo sighed and motioned for his brother to follow. "Let's go in the kitchen. I could use some tea, how about you?"

Don nodded, and followed after his brother.

* * *

"So, start at the beginning." Leo set down the steaming cups of green tea. 

"Well, I started looking into that school that she went to. The Greensage Institute, it was called. It wasn't a boarding school… It was a psychiatric hospital."

Leonardo raised an eye ridge and took a sip of tea, but said nothing.

"Austin was a patient there, but I don't know why. The hospital was run by some guy named Dr. Adair. This Dr. Adair… I can't find much information on him. I can't even find proof that he really IS a doctor. But… he was doing stuff to the kids." Donatello shuddered slightly and took a drink of tea, as if to calm his nerves and erase the images from his mind.

"I was reading up on the articles from the fire, and something just wasn't quite right, so I did more digging. When they were going through the rubble at hospital, they discovered lower levels of the building. And they found bodies..."

"Bodies? Of children?"

Don nodded. Leo was catching on quick. "Only a couple, but…"

"But what, Don?"

"I don't think they were human."

"Mutants?"

Don shrugged. "I'm not sure. You have to understand, I did a lot of digging, Leo. Most of the information I got wasn't in any official reports. I had to do a lot of reading between the lines and piecing together different stories to even get that much. Anyone who wasn't looking too closely wouldn't have been able to figure out that much."

"So… this Adair. He was doing genetic research?"

"Something like that. I followed some leads, looking into Adair's records. Like I said, there wasn't much to go on. But I finally found something."

"What?"

"Some video clips. They're short, and incomplete; I think they were salvaged from the fire… and I had to do some fancy hacking work to find them. But… well, as far as I can tell, they're legit. And I think one of them is of Austin."

Leo let out a long slow breath and closed his eyes. "Do I want to see these clips?"

"No. Look, Leo. I don't think we have anything to worry about from Austin. I think maybe we should forget this digging into her past thing, and just let things go. She's either going to be our friend, or she isn't. But if everything I've found out about her is legit, then I don't think we have to worry about her exposing us. She has just as much reason to fear scientists and doctors as we do."

Nodding slowly, Leo pushed his teacup away.

"Besides, Leo… I think one of us is already getting too close to her." Donatello jerked a thumb in the direction of the living room.

"Yes, I'm aware…"

* * *

"Susanne Carmine Fashions, how may I direct your call?" 

"Yes… um… I'd like to speak to Mrs. Carmine, please?" There was a pause, and I swore the girl on the other end was trying not to laugh at me. I knew it wasn't going to be this easy, but I had to start somewhere. She was a famous fashion designer, and a Senator's wife.

"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Carmine isn't taking calls right now. I can forward you to her secretary though, and you may leave a message."

"Yes… yes, please do that." I almost wanted to breathe a huge sigh of relief. I wouldn't have to talk directly to her. I could just… leave a message. One that she'd understand, and then if she wanted to contact me, the ball would be in her court. This would work out fine.

There was a click on the line, then a few more rings, and then I heard, "Susanne Carmine's office."

"Yes, I need to leave a message for Mrs. Carmine. It's… It's very important."

"I'm sure it is." Said the prissy voice, in a tone that said she'd rather have a rusty nail shoved through her eye than take my message. "Unfortunately Mrs. Carmine is away from the office right now, and I don't know how long it will be until she checks back in."

"I see… well… I really need to speak with her, so can I leave my name and the number she can reach me at?"

The secretary made me wait while she rustled around for a pen and message pad. I just _knew_ she had it sitting there in front of her the whole time. She was only trying to piss me off. And it was working. After what seemed like an hour, she finally told me she was ready to take down a note.

In a pleasant voice I said "thank you", and gave her my phone number. "Please tell her my name is Austin. Austin Bridger. She'll know who I am." The secretary gave a little snort that she tried to pass off as a cough. Obviously, she thought very little of this person who was trying to get a hold of her rich and influential boss.

I politely thanked her again and hung up the phone, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. A rather large part of me didn't want Susan to call back. If she called back, that meant she cared. I'd been alone for so long, the thought scared me. I had no idea how I'd react to her if she wanted to get to know me. I mean… I had almost no experience with the whole mother and daughter thing. What was I suppose to say to her? I had no idea.

Watching her on TV had made me hate her. She was always so well dressed, so prim and proper. And beautiful. Devon had been right, she was gorgeous. Tall, slim, graceful, blond hair and green eyes. The only thing I got from her were my eyes.

Everything else must have come from my father's side. My father. I suppose he was the only reason I hadn't followed Devon's advice and thrown away the phone number. I wanted to know who he was, but I didn't even have a name. It was blank on my birth certificate. I was a bastard child; fatherless. I wanted to find out who he was, and if he even knew about me. This was something I'd never shared with Devon. From the moment I realized Bill Bridger was not my father, I'd felt an almost overwhelming urge to find out who was. And Susan was the only who had that information. If Devon knew, he had been very good about hiding it.

I sat looking at nothing in particular, lost in thought. My eyes traced a small crack running along the wall without really seeing it.

"Devon?" I called out one more time, knowing he wouldn't answer. But maybe he was watching. If he was watching, but didn't answer, at least he knew I was trying to apologize. If he wasn't watching… well… there was nothing I could do about it now, other than go about my business.

I realized that I was hungry, so I stood up from the couch. I had just reached for the fridge when the phone rang. I froze. _She wouldn't have called back this fast, would she?_ My thoughts raced. Should I answer? What if it was her? What if it wasn't? All I could do was stare blankly at the phone. _What should I do?_

I waited too long and my answering machine picked up. I heard my voice go through the recorded message and cringed. If it was Susan, then my message probably wouldn't make the best first impression.

"_Austin's House of Kink, your pain is our pleasure. We're with another client right now, but leave a whimper, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible."_

There was a beep and then a male voice chuckling. "I never get tired of hearing that, Austin." It was Ken. Oh thank god it was Ken. I could still change the message before Susan called back.

I dashed over to the phone and picked it up before he could leave his message.

"Hey Ken, I'm here! What's up?"

"Oh good! Listen, we got this guy calling the café asking for your phone number. He seems really insistent and just won't take no for an answer. What do you want us to do?"

"Who is it?" One of the troubles with being a manager was having to deal with all the freaks that came in the store. More than once customers had demanded my phone number because of some stupid little thing they found unsatisfactory at the café.

"All he said was his name was Mikey. He wouldn't give me a last name."

I found myself smiling before I could stop myself. I bit my lip and forced a frown instead. I'd made my decision not to get involved with him and his brothers. "Did he leave his number?"

"No, that's why I thought I'd call you. He didn't seem angry or anything, just… very insistent. I believe his exact words were 'Please, please, please, pretty please, with sprinkles on top'."

I sighed. "Go ahead and give him my number if he calls back. Don't worry, it's probably just a friend."

"Probably?"

"Yah, well, you know."

"Ahhh, one of those guys you never called back after a night of hot steamy sex?"

"Uh… Something like that."

"I knew it. You're such a tease."

"A tease doesn't give out."

"Oh, so you're a slut?"

"I plead the fifth."

Ken laughed and I had to smile. Of all the people working at the café, I liked him the best.

"I'll give him your number next time he calls. Thanks, Austin."

"No problem."

We hung up and I went back to the kitchen. I had just finished making a sandwich when the phone rang again. Licking a smear of mayonnaise off my thumb I picked up the phone, pretty sure it was going to be Michelangelo.

"Hey Mikey."

"Wrong turtle."

"Oh… Uh.. Hey Raph…" My mouth went dry and suddenly the sandwich didn't look quite as good. I pushed the plate away and leaned against the counter.

"That's all I get is a 'hey'?"

"What do you want to hear?"

"You, screamin' my name would be a good start." His voice was low and I wondered if he was trying to hide his words from someone else who might be in the room.

Swallowing hard, I tried to keep my voice steady. "You think way too much of yourself."

"Mmm."

"What do you want, Raph?"

"Hmmm… weather's gonna be cool tonight. I'd wear a sweater if I were you."

"My apartment is heated."

"You're not gonna be in your apartment."

"And just where, pray tell, am I going to be?"

"Out. With me."

"I have other plans Raph, sorry." I was lying. But he didn't need to know that.

"I'll pick you up around 8:30."

"I'm not going out with you."

"I'll park my bike in the alley below your window."

"I'm not-… You've got a bike?" _Damn! That sounded too eager._ I slapped myself on the forehead.

"You. Me. Tonight."

"Raph…"

"Dress warm."

"Raph…"

"Austin."

"…ok."

"I knew you'd see it my way."

"Ass." Laughing, he hung up on me. What the hell was I thinking? Had I just agreed to a date? No. No, definitely not a date. Anything but a date. Just a friendly bike ride with a guy who… happened to be sexy as hell… despite the not being human thing.

Good god, what was I getting myself into?

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes: **All information regarding the little reverse fic challenge of mine has been moved to the Misadventures LiveJournal. Go there to check it out. 

Annnnnnnnd, finally. Austin's mother isn't really her mother! Her sister is! Hah! Wait… hmm.. that sounds like a bad Jerry Springer episode. Ah well. Which means, Devon is really her uncle. But she's always thought of him as a brother, and that's how it's going to stay. And yes, this has been part of the plot since before the story was even down in words. Wheeee. I'm just full of little twists, aren't I? Just wait til you find out who Austin's father is. …ok, I'll tell. His name is Joe Bob Smith Jr., and he lives in Alabama and wears wife-beater t-shirts and has a mullet. …Austin is going to be REALLY disappointed when she finds that out…

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Isis-Lament: **Devon is deep down a decent person. He's just grown a little too attached to Austin. He will return at some point, but for now he's off moping somewhere Outside Reality.

And Sue wasn't actually the newscaster, she was the woman that was being featured in the story. Sorry if I made that a little confusing. But hopefully this chapter clears it up more. Yes, Susan abandoned her baby and her family, and went off in search of her dreams. It's going to be interesting when she realizes her long lost daughter has found her.

**Reinbeauchaser:** Thanks for the heads up about the policy. I looked all over the FAQ and couldn't find anything, but I moved all the info to the LJ for now. I e-mailed them also, and explained the situation and asked what the policy would be in this specific case. I haven't heard back yet, but that's ok. I'm still going to do the challenge thing, just out of the LJ instead of did start out in the X-Men fandom, so there may be traces of that leaking into this world. Although I've always been fascinated by the fantasy and sci-fi worlds, and the TMNT provides a perfect breeding ground for all my little twisted plot lines.

**Pi90katana: **It's ok, I understand. I'm guilty of it myself. I'm glad that you're enjoying my story though!

**Reluctant Dragon: **And here's another update. I think this is one of my longest chapters so far, and I can't believe it flowed out as easily as it did. Hopefully the rest of the story will come out so nicely. I was really happy with how the dialogue turned out in this chapter. Yay for updates!

**Sassyblondexoxo:** Another SeaQuest fan! Yay! -cheers- I have to admit, I was still a fan even after they did the whole aliens/future, new captain thing. It was awesome. Here's a question. Do you remember the show Earth2, or something like that? It used to be on either right before, or right after SeaQuest, but I can't remember which. I loved that show, but it got cancelled mid-season, right after a cliffhanger episode. I was so upset about that… just curious if anyone else remembers that show.

And thanks for the recommendation! I'll go check it out as soon as I get a chance!

**The REAL Cheese Monkey:** Devon still has a part to play in this story, so he'll be back at some point. I love him too much to not use him a little bit more in the story. He's acting like a dick, but he means well, he really does.


	13. A Night Out With Raphael

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. The Celestial Café belongs to me, and any similarity between any real people or places is totally coincidental.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **This is the longest chapter yet, and I apologize for taking so incredibly long to push it out. And this will be the end of the flashbacks. For now. I reserve the right to have them pop back up whenever I feel like it.

_FunFact:_Austin refuses to pick a 'favorite' color. She doesn't want to be biased against all the other colors. But she has 'great affection' for the color known as green.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

_Italics _are Austin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

"_Holy shit, Aus! Not only is your couch butt-ugly, but it weighs a TON!"_

_There was a grunt from the other side of the couch that sounded remotely like "Up yours, David." The two of them struggled up the steep, narrow steps to her new third-floor apartment. Well, new as in, new to her. The building itself had probably been standing for a century or more, but the apartment had been recently renovated._

_The old tattered sofa they were hauling upstairs was the last of Austin's furniture. It had taken them less than two hours to move her things in, seeing as she really didn't own all that much. Five large cardboard boxes held all of her worldly possessions, including pots, pan, dishes, books, cleaning supplies and clothes. She was planning on making a major shopping run with her first paycheck from The Celestial. _

_With a relieved sigh, they set the couch down after maneuvering it around the little half wall. Austin flopped herself down and grinned up at the dark haired young man sweating lightly and leaning over the back of the couch. _

"_You are just too awesome, David."_

_David gave her a smug look and flexed a bicep. "Why yes, I am."_

_Giggling, Austin waved him over to the fridge. "Have a beer. And grab me one while you're at it. They should be cold by now." _

"_Tsk tsk, Austin, providing minors with alcohol."_

"_Oh please, you've drank a hell of a lot worse." _

_The young man shuddered as he opened the fridge. "Don't remind me." _

_Austin sat up on the couch, resting her arm on the back of the sofa and watched David as he pried open the beer bottles. It was hard to believe that this was the same boy who had curled up naked on her bed crying when he was only seven years old. And even harder still to believe that he was half-demon. He had charm, grace, good looks, and a killer sense of humor. He'd come a long way from the being the child that had been force-fed blood every day, prophesying horrors never before seen in this world. _

_David had lived with Austin, Jeremy, and all the other 'Miracles', as they'd called themselves. Yes, it was a childish nickname, but it had been a miracle they'd gotten out of the Institute alive. Austin and David had eventually struck out on their own though, and somehow both had ended up in New York City. He had been more than willing to help her get settled in her new home. Had David not been like a brother to her, she might have considered taking him as a lover. He was only four years younger than she, but was mature beyond his years. Everyone from the Institute had grown up way too soon. _

"_So… have you told Jeremy where you are yet?"_

_Austin sighed and took the beer from him, scooting over to make room on the couch. "Yes, he has my new address and phone number. I'm sure I'll get a call from him any day now." _

"_He just worries about you, Aus. And you know he still loves you." _

_She grimaced. "That was almost six years ago! We were kids, for god's sake. Besides, he has a girlfriend now." _

"_Doesn't change the fact that he does." _

"_David…"_

"_Do you still love him?"_

_Austin didn't answer. She took a rather large swig of beer instead. _

"_You do, don't you?"_

"_Let's talk about something else."_

_David sighed and checked his watch then set his half empty beer bottle on the coffee table. "I need to get going, actually. Promised I'd pick up Steph from work." _

_Austin matched his sigh. "Yah… thanks for helping, David. I really appreciate it." _

_Standing up he held out a hand and she accepted. He helped her to her feet and gave her a quick hug. It was awkward, since neither of them were used to meaningful hugs. "You have my phone number, Austin. Don't be a stranger, ok? I'll be here whenever you need me." _

_She nodded again and walked him to the door. "I'll see you around, David." _

_With a sad smile, he patted her on the shoulder then left the apartment, his heavy footsteps thudding down the stairs and echoing in Austin's ears. She closed the door and looked at her beer. With a frown she threw her neck back and chugged the rest of it. The dark brew made her want to gag as it flooded her system. Austin didn't skimp on beer. This was good stuff; imported dark ale. Strong, too. Tears started to blur in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. Then she strode over to David's unfinished bottle, and downed that quickly as well._

_She didn't want to think about Jeremy and what she left behind right now. There were four more beers in the fridge. Within the hour, they were all gone. _

* * *

Susan still hadn't called me back by 5pm. I'd spent all day pretty much just sitting on the couch staring at the phone, willing it to ring, but not really wanting it to. I know what an odd predicament I must have put her in. The long lost daughter she gave up almost twenty years before just shows up out of the blue one day asking to see her. It must have sent her reeling into the realm of surrealism. I wonder what she would say if I called her back and added into the message that she wouldn't be able to get a hold of me tonight because I had a date with a giant talking turtle who rode a motorcycle. That might just break her brain. Either that, or she'd have me committed to an institution. I shuddered at the thought. 

And as for my date, for I'd finally decided that's what it was, I was becoming more nervous and apprehensive as the day drug on. I shouldn't have agreed to go out with Raph. I should call him back and tell him that I'm definitely not going out with him. I should tell him I can't see him anymore, and I should tell him he's not really as sexy as he likes to think he his. I should him tell him that nothing is ever going to happen between us. I should lie to him and say all of those things, but what I really should have done? …I really should have gotten his phone number. I highly doubted that he and his brothers were listed in the phone book.

And so, 5:01pm found me at my computer desk, having finally abandoned the couch for a more productive project. The internet is an amazing tool. You can find anything, and I do mean anything. With just a few words and clicks, I found myself looking over a diagram of turtle anatomy and I quickly discovered just how much the mutagen must have changed their bodies. Unbidden, my mind again flashed to Raphael's physique, and I wondered just how different he was from me. I really didn't want any surprises when we finally… I mentally smacked myself away from that train of thought. I was _not_ going to go there. I still had willpower. I could control myself. In theory…

I busied myself by looking at pictures of shells. Carapace, plastron… ok, I could remember those words. Unfortunately they didn't have a search option for 'mutant' turtles. I clicked around some more, reading up on turtle facts, and realizing how very little I really knew about them. When I finally stumbled onto a page that described box turtle mating rituals, I wasn't sure whether I should be scared, or intrigued. Besides, how much of that really applied now anyway? I mean, Raphael was _already_ aggressive which was half the attraction, if not all. Maybe he wasn't even a box turtle to start out with.

I finally flicked off the screen, determined not to think about Raph's skills as a lover. That train of thought was dangerous to follow. Besides, I had to get ready. It was almost 6:30 now, and I only had two hours until he got here. Of course, knowing him, he'd show up early just to catch me off guard.

I wandered into my bedroom and stared into my closet, realizing that I didn't have a _clue_ what I was going to wear. I hadn't done laundry in almost a week and was swiftly running out of clean clothes. Jeans were definitely on the agenda though. I'd ridden a bike before, and anything less than denim just wouldn't cut it. Raph had been right, tonight was supposed to be cool.

Stripping off my current ensemble of tie dye pajama pants and a white tank top, I slipped into one of my other favorite pairs of jeans. A pair that wasn't covered in sewer slime and god knows what else. They were nice and tight in the butt, and loose and flared on the legs with green ivy embroidery on the cuffs and up the side seams. They were damn sexy if I do say so myself, but I'd always been partial to ivy décor.

I pulled on a black satin bra and adjusted it while I once again looked into my closet. With a frown, I pawed through the clothes, determined to find something that would knock Raph on his ass. If I was going to get all wobbly-legged and short of breath by looking at him, then he damn well better feel the same about me.

I finally found what I was looking for. My eyes lit up and I grinned. The blood red velvet top had a gathered peasant style neckline, with a small tie in the front. It showed a sinful amount of cleavage, but still left plenty to the imagination. The sleeves were flared at the elbows in a bell curve and I smiled evilly as I looked at it. He'd definitely like this. And if he didn't? …well… I'd find someone else to go home with; someone who appreciated it. This time I didn't bother chastising myself for the assumption that something was going to happen between us. I was starting to feel a bit reckless and looking forward to my night out with Raph. It must have been the shirt. That always happened when I wore this particular shirt.

My pride and wild abandon soon faltered though when I took a look in the mirror. The stitches stood out on my forehead like a nun at a gay pride festival. The swelling had gone down, and the flesh wasn't quite so red anymore, but the stitches were still black and ugly and kinda crusty now. I'd always been a fast healer, but a couple days were too quick even for me. I was going to be stuck with the stitches for my date. Staring at them in the mirror, I tried to decide whether to put a bandage over them or not. Even if I'd owned cover-up, that would have been out of the question; stitches and makeup don't mix. Besides, I don't wear makeup. In fact, I'm very anti-makeup. Growing up I hadn't really had any women influences to show me the glories of powder, blush, and eye shadow, and now I just found them unnecessary. The only things I owned were lip gloss and a couple shades of light lipstick, which I hardly ever wore.

I finally decided to just let the stitches be. A large white bandage would probably just draw more attention to them anyway.

I set to work on my hair, trying to tame the frizzy curls, but knowing I was fighting a losing battle. With a grunt of frustration, I finally pulled it all back in a loose braid that ended just below my shoulder blades and secured it with a velvet hair tie that matched the shirt. It wasn't outrageously sexy, but it looked cute. I clipped on a dark red ribbon choker and gave myself a little nod in the mirror. It would do.

* * *

A low whistle from behind caused me to jump. Normally this wouldn't have bothered me all too much. Normally, it wouldn't have hurt either. But when I heard the whistle, I was on my hands and knees reaching under the coffee table to grab a pen that had fallen and decided to make its home there, my ass high in the air. When I jumped, the backside of my head hit the edge of the coffee table and I let out a rather undignified curse at the sharp pain. I scrambled out from under the table and stood up, rubbing the now sore spot on my head. This was great. Just great. With my luck, I'd probably have to call Donatello and have him put in more stitches. 

Turning, I glared at Raphael who was now standing just a few feet away, and giving me that smug look that I'd come to hate. Or love. Depending on how you looked at it. I pulled my fingers away from my head, relieved to see that there was no blood on them.

"You're early." I pointed out and placed my hands on my hips in what I hoped was an admonishing gesture.

"You're wearing a bra." Ah. So I guess he'd noticed yesterday then.

"God, you're such a pig. I don't know why I agreed to this. Stay here. I'll be right back." I stomped off to the bedroom to check my hair one last time and grab a jacket. Sure enough, I'd yanked some strands of hair out of the braid, so I'd have to pull it out and start over. Luckily, it didn't take too long. I was just reaching for the leather jacket I'd laid out on the bed when I caught movement from the corner of my eye. I turned to see Raph leaning against the door frame looking approvingly at my room.

"Nice."

"Enjoy the view while you can, it's all you're ever gonna see." Grabbing the jacket, I strode over to the door, gripping the handle to pull it closed behind me, but I ran into a large green roadblock. Raph wasn't moving from the door and I glared at him. "I thought I told you to stay out there."

He just looked at me with a little half-grin, his eyes slowly raking over my body. "Very nice."

I didn't pull back when he reached for me. Dammit, I was going to stand my ground if it was the last thing I did. His hands caught me around the waist and gently pulled me towards him. That simple movement sent my heart pounding, and I briefly wondered why I'd even bothered getting dressed if he was going to make a play for me right here and now. It would have saved a lot of time if I'd just come out into the living room naked. Hell, we could have gone for it right there on the floor. But Raph had different plans.

I'd expected to feel his hands all over my body, teasing and insistent like they were the night before. I'd expected him to push me back into the bedroom and onto the bed, and then have those wonderfully strong hands rip my clothes off. I'd expected that we weren't actually going to leave the apartment the entire night, and he'd be here with me until morning. With just that simple movement of his hands, that's what I'd expected. But what he actually did, I hadn't expected at all.

He kissed me. Soft, tender, and very slow. One of his hands gently went to the back of my neck and held me against him. I was shocked, to say the least. This action seemed very un-Raph like. But then, I'd only known him for a couple days. Maybe I'd had him pegged all wrong.

Just as I recovered from the shock of the kiss and realized what was happening, I discovered I wanted to kiss him back. But it was too late and the moment was broken; he pulled away from me, a grin forming on his surprisingly soft mouth. I'm sure I was flushed, my lips parted just slightly in surprise and my breathing heavy. Quite honestly, I don't know how he resisted pushing me up against the wall and commencing with a heavy make-out session. I'm sure my face and body movement was screaming for it. Instead he stepped away from me and back out into the living area.

"We're gonna be late. We should get going."

I stared at him. He really was a bastard. He'd meant it when he said he was going to wait for me to come to him, but he wasn't going to sit idly by. He was going to press every one of my damn buttons to help me along the way. With a start, I realized the game he wanted to play. A battle of wills. Fine. He wants to play, I'll play. I smiled slowly and sweetly, and tried to calm my pounding heart. Pulling on my jacket, I tried to pretend like the kiss hadn't meant a thing. He knew that I was faking it, but I could see the look of satisfaction on his face. He saw that I was going to play.

"Where, exactly, are we going?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, highly doubting it was going to be dinner and a movie.

"You'll see when we get there." Raph opened the window and swiftly climbed out, then reached back in for my hand. "C'mon."

"I have a front door, you know."

"And it faces a busy street. C'mon." He gestured insistently at me. With a sigh I grabbed my spare keys and shoved them in my back pocket hoping that I didn't lose this set as well.

Reluctantly, I crawled out after him onto the fire escape. In the three months I'd lived here I'd never actually been out on it, and I realized now just how high up off the ground it seemed. I didn't like the feeling at all. Not necessarily because I was afraid of heights, but more because I had no idea how old this fire escape was, and with my luck it would probably buckle and crash to the ground under my fat ass. I grasped the rusty railing and looked down over the edge. In the dark alley, I could just make out the shape of a motorcycle. Taking hold of my hand, Raph pulled me gently down the rust covered stairs. He must have seen that I wasn't too thrilled about being out here.

I let him lead me down the escape with only a few creaks and metallic groans alerting the night of my descent. Raph didn't make a sound, and I envied his graceful silence. When I finally dropped the last few feet to the ground, he caught me lightly around the waist to help steady me, although both of us knew full well I would have landed fine on my own. He let his fingers linger for just a moment longer than necessary then turned to the bike. The light from the street didn't quite reach this far back into the alley, but from what I could see it looked like there was something covering part of the bike. When Raphael picked it up and pulled it on, I realized it was a jacket. A rather nice big leather jacket. Nicer than mine, actually, and I wondered where in the world he'd gotten it from. It did a nice job of covering his shell though, and anybody who didn't bother to take a second look would just think he was another rider on the street, decked out in leather and weird pants.

Grinning, he picked up a helmet that had been sitting on the back of the bike and held it out to me. I looked at it, then smiled and shook my head playfully. "No thanks." I shouldn't have bothered re-braiding my hair. I'd be lucky if the tie even stayed in, but the reckless feeling was building up again and I wanted to be wild. Screw safety laws.

Apparently Raph felt the same way because he tossed the helmet to the ground unceremoniously, and grinned even wider. With a practiced, effortless movement, he lifted his leg over the bike and straddled the seat. Looking over his shoulder, he silently gave me an open invitation to join him. I didn't hesitate.

My heart thudding wildly in my chest, I climbed onto the bike behind him, unsure of where to hold on. Solving that problem for me, Raphael reached back and grabbed my hands, pulling them around him and I found myself pressed against the soft suede that covered the hard carapace underneath. I could just hold on to the sides of his plastron with my hands, thumbs resting underneath where his warm leathery skin met the shell. I wondered if he could feel it, and if it was an unpleasant touch, or a welcome one. With a deep breath I held tightly to Raph, the expectation of a wild ride through the streets of New York running like electrical currents through my body.

"Ready?" His voice carried back to me sounding smooth and dangerous, speaking of things to come.

I hugged myself to him, my chin finding a rest just above the top of his shell, my cheek against his neck.

"Ready."

We took off like a bat out of hell, and I barely managed to keep a grip on Raph's shell. The motor on the bike was surprisingly quiet and I realized how he was able to park below my window without me hearing him. Don must have done some sort of adjustments it, because this was definitely no ordinary bike. Raphael knew how to handle it though. We flew out of the alley and I was sure we were going to die, but he turned sharp into the street and before I knew it we were passing cars left and right. There was no headlight; Raph was guiding us by the light of the city. We were a dark blur on the streets, weaving in and out of traffic, and I've never experienced anything so thrilling. The wind whipped around me, my braid flipping wildly around. The cool night air chilled my skin that wasn't covered, but the rush of adrenaline more than compensated.

I had no clue where we were going, but I didn't want to get there too soon. This was way too much fun. We dodged this way and that, narrowly missing cars, trucks, pedestrians and stray dogs. I was amazed at Raph's reflexes, and clutched onto him all that much tighter.

My excitement turned to horror though when a siren blasted behind us. I whipped my head around and could see another motorcycle darting around obstacles behind us. A police cycle. My first thought was that I was shocked any officer could keep up with Raph. The second was that we would be in a shitload of trouble if we got caught.

"Faster!" I turned back around and yelled in Raph's ear. I could swear I felt the smile on his face rather than see it. He gunned the motor and I almost lost my grip. I struggled to keep a hold until I felt his left hand firmly grasp mine and hold it against him. If I hadn't been so freaked out that he'd taken a hand off the handle of the bike, I might have enjoyed his touch. The siren grew slightly less shrill and I knew we were gaining ground on him. He was having trouble keeping us with us since we cast no light to guide him. Despite Raph's expert riding skills though, I could tell the turns were a bit more jerky since he only had one hand on the bars. I wanted to tell him to not worry about me, but I was honestly more afraid of falling if he let go of my hand.

A loud honking that overpowered the siren behind us caught my attention and my eyes flew wide open as I looked ahead and realized there was a semi headed straight for us, not fifteen feet away, and cars to both sides.

There are very few moments in a person's life when they think that they are going to die in less than ten seconds. And contrary to popular belief, life does not flash before your eyes. At least not mine. Instead, my senses start to take in details. Things I'll never see again. Sounds I'll never hear again. We were close enough, I could see the dead bugs on the grill of the semi, and I thought that I would soon be one of those bugs. I could hear someone yelling on the street nearby; not at me, but at someone standing next to him. He yelled "Don't forget the cheese!", and part of me was sad that I'd never know who he was, or why his companion shouldn't forget the cheese. But I could smell Raph over all this though. It was a dark scent, spicy and rich that spoke of a risk and danger, and I was surprised I hadn't noticed it until now. Mixed with the smell of the leather, it was wonderful, and I knew I'd never get to smell it again. This hit me more than anything else.

With a gasp and a cry, I buried my face against his neck, not wanting to see my own death coming for me. There was a whoosh of air, and I felt my body tilt drastically, and the bike turn. _We're not gonna make it_, I repeated to myself silently, like an ancient mantra. But we did. How he kept from spilling us, I'll never know. The wind whistled in my ears but I didn't lift my head. My heart was pounding, and I had a deathgrip on Raph. I was frozen to him, listening to the sounds of the traffic, sure that I had just died but my mind hadn't caught up yet.

The siren quickly faded behind us, and the whistle of the wind died. Raph slowed the bike down, and guided it through more turns, careful and unhurried, almost leisurely. I still didn't look up. The currents of air grew softer on my skin, and when he finally stopped the bike it was so subtle I didn't even realize. It wasn't until he turned in the seat, gently removing my fingers from where they threatened to dig into the hard boney surface of his plastron, that I discovered we were sitting still, and the lights and sounds of the city seemed far away.

Raphael climbed off, then wrapped his arms around me and pulled me from the bike. I slid off in a rather ungraceful impersonation of a pile of goo. The only thing that kept me standing was his arms around me, and I clung desperately to him. Pride be damned, I was just lucky I hadn't peed my pants from that scare.

"You ok?" He asked. All I could do was nod; I didn't trust my voice yet.

We stood like that for a few moments until finally my heartbeat slowed and I thought I could stand on my own. Then I weakly pushed away from him, and he let me go.

"That scared the shit outta me!" I glared at him, but it was only half-hearted. I could see the light still dancing behind his eyes and I knew that he'd gotten a rush from that near-death experience. Looking back, he'd probably been in complete control of the bike, but I hadn't known that at the time. God only knew what he did when he was alone on the motorcycle; probably things that no sane person would attempt. …And dammit… if I didn't want to hop back on the bike and do it all again. Sometimes I wonder just where my brain is. But then again… I knew where it was. It was back there behind him, taking in his wonderful scent and holding onto him for dear life. It was a wonderful feeling, and I couldn't wait for the ride home, even if I ended up dead by the end of the night. At least I would have died happy.

Reaching out, he tucked a strand of loose hair back behind my ear and I shivered slightly. "You're cute when you're scared shitless."

I wrinkled my nose in mock disgust, but the comment made me want to jump up and down in joy. Hey, I'm a girl. He's a guy. And he just told me I'm cute. Just because I don't like people doesn't mean I don't like compliments.

"You're just trying to get in my pants."

"I don't need to try. I could have had you last night."

I wanted to smack him for being so arrogant, but I knew he was telling the truth. Instead I tried to look offended, but I could see he didn't fall for it. I tried to brush it off and looked around instead, to find out where we'd finally stopped. I saw trees. Lots of tall, dark trees. "Where are we?"

"The park."

"…why?"

"You'll see." He gave me a mischievous grin that I swear he borrowed from Michelangelo. Turning back to the bike, he wheeled it into some deep bushes, effectively covering it from sight. When he returned, I saw that he'd left the jacket as well. Then he took my hand, and pulled me along through the dark trees, away from any discernable path I could see. I had no clue where he was taking me.

* * *

Let it never be said that Raph doesn't know how to have fun. Or at least… that he doesn't know how to treat a lady right. Ok, scratch that one too; I'm far from a lady. Let it never be said he doesn't know how to show me a good time. 

Nine o'clock found us sitting in the crook of a very large tree twenty feet from the ground. The little hollow area was large enough for the two of us to sit comfortably without having to squeeze up against each other. Not that that would have been such a bad thing. But the space that it gave us allowed me to relax after my death defying thrill ride through the streets of New York. If I'd have paid attention in science class, or biology class… or herbology or whatever the hell class it is that tell you about trees, I might have been able to tell you what kind of tree I was sitting in. But since it was dark, and I didn't really _care_, all I can say was that it was big, and leafy. Raph had jumped up first, and then leaned down to pull me up and help me climb the branches until we'd reached this nice little crook. His familiarity with the tree told me he'd been here before, but I didn't ask how many times, or with how many girls. I really didn't want to know that right now.

It was an excellent vantage point. We could look down on all the people wandering the park, but they'd have a hell of a time trying to spot us. Besides, almost everybody's attention was focused on the stage in the distance. The rock band playing would probably have been too loud had we been any closer, but Raph had the perfect spot that let us enjoy the music without it being overly obnoxious. We could talk and easily be heard, or we could just sit and listen to the locals pretend at being rock stars; which is what we did for awhile. The music was good. Not fantastic, but at least it didn't suck. They had a wide variety of cover songs that they managed to get through without mangling too bad.

The music and the atmosphere was relaxing, and I tried to remember when the last time I'd had a good time like this was. Many years had passed since I let myself enjoy someone else's company that was for sure. Taking a pause from watching the people dancing down by the stage, I looked over to Raph. He was leaning against the main trunk of the tree, one leg perched on a branch, the other lazily hanging out in the air. And he was almost nonchalantly twirling a sai in one hand, glints of light bouncing off the sharp blade every once in a while. His other hand was resting close to my thigh, but not touching.

I leaned back as well and watched him for a few moments in the darkness; if he knew I was looking at him he didn't let it show.

"Do you always bring weapons along on your dates?"

The corner of his mouth raised just slightly and I watched as he balanced the tip of the blade on one finger for a while, and then flicked it into the air with an imperceptible wrist movement. He caught it neatly by the handle and replaced it in his belt, smooth as silk. Show off.

"Never go anywhere without 'em."

I gave a little indistinguishable murmur since I really had no response to that. Besides, it _was_ impressive.

"Can I…" My voice trailed off. I wasn't sure if it was polite to ask if I could touch his weapons.

He shrugged and pulled the sai out again, flipped it around, and stretched it out to me, handle first. As I took the cold steel in my hands, I couldn't help but feel a bit in awe of the weapon. Holding it gently but firmly, I inspected the sai in the moonlight. It was beautiful. As I said before, I've got a thing for pretty shiny weapons but usually I'm not allowed this close to one though; for my own personal safety, of course. The metal just begged to be stroked though, and I ran my finger along it slowly, feeling the smooth surface. I could sense Raphael's eyes watching me, and I wondered what I looked like to him. Probably like a child seeing a first snowfall, in awe of the magic and wonder of what she was seeing. Or perhaps like a lover, caressing the skin of her partner. There was a history to this weapon and I shivered as my finger reached the point. Men had died on this weapon, I was sure of it. The aura seemed to flow off it into my mind and I could practically see the blood being spilled, but it didn't bother me. I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable, and later I'd probably question that fact. But for now all I saw was the sai.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I slowly handed it back to him, but reluctantly. He took it nodding his head just a little as if he knew what I was thinking and placed it back in his belt. I shivered. The night was growing colder and I wanted to be warm. What I really wanted to do was snuggle up against Raph, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, for many reasons. One being, this was Raph, and he didn't seem like the snuggling type. Two, I don't snuggle. I've taken lovers before, but not snuggling type lovers. I prefer the wham-bam-thankee-ma'am approach to sex. Attachments and commitments are just too much to bother with, so I was terribly upset at myself for this new development. Sex was fine. I'd decided I could handle sex with Raphael. Wanting to snuggle was a separate matter entirely.

So I just leaned back against the tree again and watched the happy couples passing on the path near the foot of the tree. They looked so happy, so young and in love. The band on the stage had dropped the hard rock and were starting into a slow romantic ballad. I grimaced. One couple had stopped a few yards from us and were slow dancing to the tune, his hand placed lovingly at the small of her back, and her head leaning against his shoulder in a timeless gesture of affection.

I watched them for a moment then turned to Raph. "I swear to god, if you ask me to dance, this date is over."

He raised an eye ridge at me. "Do I look like I dance?"

"I'm just warning you." I pointed down to the euphoric couple. "People like that make me sick."

"Happy dancin' people?"

"No. Well… yes." He waited for me to continue, so I did. "People who think that love and romance is all there is to live for. I mean look at them. I bet they haven't even had sex yet. Want to know how I can tell?"

"You're gonna tell me anyway." But he had an amused smile on his face, so I knew he wasn't going to mind.

"Damn right I am. This song is slow, but it's not _that_ slow. It's a slightly upbeat song that's basically talking about sex. And his hand is on her back. Her hands are around his middle. Their bodies aren't as close as they could be, and they just have this air of innocence. Well… at least she does. Now, if they'd had sex already, they would be dancing much closer; his hands would be on her ass, and she wouldn't have that dreamy look on her face. It would be more… expectant. Like she knows that she's gonna get laid later. I can just imagine what's going through their heads right now."

I was on a roll, and Raph wasn't about to stop me. "See, she's thinking how lucky she is that she's found a guy who's willing to wait. And _he's_ thinking that if he tells her he's willing to wait, then it will make her want him even more and they'll end up sleeping together sooner rather than later. Love is a joke. They think that being in love is this magical wonderful world that makes their problems go away, and all you need is love, and love heals all wounds, and all that bullshit that songs like this imply. What love is, is just an excuse. For people like that," I pointed to the couple again, "who are too afraid to make it on their own." I paused and stared down as the couple started to move away from the path. In spite of all that I'd said, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy as the guy leaned over and gave his girl a soft kiss on the cheek and squeezed her hand. I'd been that girl once… although never that innocent. But I'd been loved like that, and I'd thrown it away. In the past six years it had never hit home quite as much as it did sitting here in this tree with Raphael.

The band played on and I collapsed back against the tree, my little tirade at an end.

"Sounds like someone got burned." Raph was looking intently at me and I didn't respond right away. He'd hit a bit too close to the mark, and I didn't want him asking any questions. Not that he would, Raphael didn't seem the type to pry.

"I choose to be alone. Things are much simpler that way."

"Yah… but are you happy?"

"Of course I'm happy." The response was automatic and empty, and I cringed even as I said it because I knew he'd see right through the lie.

"Right."

The last song had ended and more people were starting to walk along the path on their way home. I had nothing more to say so I sat watching them pass by, trying my hardest not to think about the turtle sitting next to me. When at last the crowds died down and the park was fairly empty and once again dark, almost a half of an hour had gone by since we'd last said anything. I was freezing. Even with my jacket on, the night was cool as summer was slowly fading into fall, though I knew it wasn't just the weather that was chilling me tonight.

"I think… you should take me home now." I lowered myself down out of the tree not looking back, climbing down a couple branches, and then dropping awkwardly to the soft grass. Raphael landed beside me with hardly a sound, and we made our way back to the bike in silence.

The ride home was practically dull compared to the reckless journey earlier in the night. It was nearly midnight and traffic had slowed considerably, and even though we broke all the city speed limits, it just seemed to have lost the spark from earlier. Pulling into the alley below my apartment I slid off the bike, on my own this time, and pulled the leather jacket tighter around myself. I still had my keys, so I figured I'd just let myself up the stairs; there was no need to climb the fire escape. In my opinion at least.

Raphael got off the bike as well, and nodded to the iron ladder. "I'll walk you up."

"That's not necessary. I have keys." I pulled them from my pocked and jingled them lightly. "I'll let myself in."

"Then I'll already be up there when you open the door."

"Raph, please…"

"I'm comin' in."

"Goddam-" My protests were cut off by the sudden pressure of his lips on mine. He was so quick I'd never even seen him move and I whimpered softly and tried to push him away, but his hand on the back of my head held me firmly to him, again. It was soft, sweet. It was just like before, and my mind screamed for him to stop. I didn't kiss like this. This was an innocent kiss, a virgin kiss. A first date kiss that just barely hinted at what the second date kiss might be like. Only this time he wasn't letting go. He wouldn't let go until I gave in, and that's exactly what I didn't want to do. …And it's exactly what I did.

I was tired of fighting it, and instead I relaxed into his arms, letting one of my hands slide up around his neck, the other grasping at the edge of his plastron, pulling myself against him instead of away. The kiss deepened and I felt the light pressure of his tongue on my lips, and I marveled at how gentle he was being. With a soft sigh I gave in to his demands, and found myself kissing him like I hadn't done with anyone for the past six years. There was something more here, and it frightened me. I didn't want it and at the same time knew I didn't want to live without it.

When we finally pulled apart, my head was swimming in a sea of confusion, and he was gazing at me with such intensity that I thought I might melt.

"I'll walk you up." He said again, his voice rougher than normal. All I could do was nod.

With his help, I managed to climb the fire escape again without falling or injury. When we reached the window, he opened it and slipped inside then reached out to help me. The instant the window was shut he had me up against the wall, kissing me again, this time more insistent, more wanting.

A small beep from the kitchen counter seemed to drag my mind out of it's haziness and I realized that there was a message on my answering machine. I ignored it. There was nothing more important than what was going on right now. Raphael's mouth was working wonders on mine and I clung to him again, whimpering and making other small cries and sounds of longing. His hands were under my shirt, at my waist again where they seemed to be spending most of their time lately. Against the wall, I had no way to pull back from him, even if I'd wanted… and I didn't. It would have taken a miracle to drag me away from him now.

The beep came again, and not more than a second later, the phone rang. It startled me and Raph pulled his head back enough just to whisper, "Let it ring." His mouth moved to my throat and I gasped as he nipped at the sensitive skin there. The phone rang again… and again… and my voice picked up with a somewhat less perverted recording than earlier in the day.

His teeth had moved on to my earlobe and I trembled under his touch even as I heard my own falsely cheerful voice asking the caller to leave a message. Another beep, and then a voice.

"Austin? Dammit Austin, if you're there pick up."

My blood ran cold, and my whole body tensed in shock. I knew who it was from the moment he'd said my name. If there was ever a turn-off more effective than a phone call from Jeremy, then I didn't know what it was. Raph sensed the change and pulled back abruptly, looking at me with confused annoyance. I don't know what he saw in my eyes. Fear maybe? Guilt?

"Aus, please. I need to speak with you, it's important." There was a desperate tone to his voice that I knew wasn't just normal concern for my well being. I hadn't heard him like this in a long time. There was a sigh and a long pause. "I'm not playing games, Austin. You _need to call me_. You know the number." There was a click, and he hung up.

Silence followed. Raph was staring at me intently, and I numbly pushed him away. He wouldn't move at first, but soon gave way when I pushed harder, almost violently. Practically running to the phone I picked it up and turned the handset on.

"Who the hell was that?" Raphael was angry. Angry, horny, and probably frustrated beyond belief. I didn't blame him in the slightest, but I did ignore him.

Dialing quickly, I hit a wrong number on the keypad, hung up, and then tried again. Jeremy answered on the first ring.

"It's me."

"Oh thank god. Thank god, Aus. I thought you'd disappeared."

"I've only been gone a few hours." Looking down at the machine I saw that six messages had been left. _Good god, are they all from Jer?_

"I know, but when I couldn't reach you, I thought the worst…" I felt a hand on my waist and tried to push it off, but Raph wouldn't be deterred. He didn't make any other movements, but just stood there.

"This isn't a good time, Jeremy."

"Dammit, Aus, this is serious. First Lucas, then David…"

"What happened to Lucas and David?" I narrowed my eyes. Jeremy didn't answer right away, and I wanted to curse at him.

"They're gone. We… I don't know where. Lucas disappeared almost two months ago. He got in a fight with Trin and left to blow off steam… and he never came back. We thought it might just be Lucas… y'know… being Lucas. But then David…"

"I talked to David two weeks ago. He came in the Café."

"Well then, you're the last one to talk to him… I didn't want to call you until I knew for sure something was wrong... I had Harold look into things… someone trashed his place a week ago, and he hasn't been seen since."

I swallowed back a lump in my throat. The fear was steadily growing, and I didn't like where Jer was taking this conversation. "Maybe he's just… on vacation. Someone probably broke in and stole his stuff."

"They didn't steal anything. They trashed the place, Aus. When Harold finally found all this out today… god, I've been trying to reach you ever since. I thought they'd gotten you too."

"Who, Jeremy? What's going on?"

"I think… I think Adair is tracking us down again. Or someone connected with him."

"That's… that's not possible." The phone had started shaking in my hand at the mention of Adair's name and I wanted to run and lock myself in the bathroom, and never come out.

"I want you to come home, Austin. Get on the next flight out here, and don't tell anyone where you've gone."

"I can't do that. I have a job…"

"Dammit Aus, this is serious. I can't protect you when you're on the other side of the country."

"I don't need your protection. You're overreacting." It sounded weak even to my ears, but I didn't want to think about what would happen if Jeremy was right. "I'll go check on David's place tomorrow. I'm sure Harold's wrong."

"For god's sake, don't do that! The last place you should go is his house; they might still be watching it. Fuck, Austin! Use your head for once! They found David and he wasn't even living under his real name. You are. Get your ass out here. Now."

"Don't tell me what to do. I'm staying here."

"Dammit, Austin."

"After I contact Susan, they won't be able to touch me. Even Adair wouldn't mess with the step-daughter of a U.S. Senator."

"Don't be too sure about that."

"I'm hanging up now, Jer. Don't call back."

"Au-"

I clicked off the phone and set it down on the counter still trembling. This was not good. This was not good at all. If Jeremy was right… but no. No, he wasn't right. I refused to believe it. Lucas was just having one of his fits and hadn't come home yet. David was probably… somewhere safe. He'd be home soon. And Jer was overreacting, again. I let out a deep breath and hung my head.

"What the hell was that about?" I jumped at the voice. In my conversation with Jeremy I'd completely forgotten Raphael was in the room, let alone standing directing behind me. Whirling around, I'm sure he could sense how frightened I'd become on the phone. His hand still touched me and I stepped away, not wanting to feel anything right now.

"This isn't a good time, Raph. You should go."

He grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let me get away. "I'm not leavin' until you tell me what the fuck is goin' on."

"It's much too long of a story." My eyes found a piece of lint on the floor and I focused on it, not daring to look up and see the look in Raph's eyes.

"I've got all night."

"I don't… please, I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Adair. He's the psycho that locked you up, isn't he?"

My head jerked up and I stared at him, my mouth hanging open slightly. "How…"

"Donnie's voice carries. I know a lot more about you than you think."

My jaw snapped shut and I wondered, not for the first time today, how the hell things had gotten so out of hand so quickly. Three nights ago, my life had been relatively normal. Now… my life was fast unraveling and I could barely keep up.

The pressure on my wrist lessened and Raph pulled me gently to the couch, forcing me to sit down. I didn't have the will to fight him anymore. I shrugged out of my jacket and dropped it on the floor by my feet, then settled back into the couch, curling up as tight into the corner as I could. Raph sat down next to me, careful to give me a little bit of space, but close enough to touch if he wanted to.

"It's a long story…" I repeated, and he followed suit.

"I've got all night."

I exhaled deeply and stared at a small stain on the coffee table. It was a long time before I was able to even come up with the right words.

"It started… when I was four…"

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes: **All information regarding the little reverse fic challenge of mine has been moved to the Misadventures LiveJournal. Go there to check it out (you'll have to scroll down a bit). The deadline to send me a request is June 15th. 

ARRRGGGGG! ….. This was the chapter from hell. It's almost twice as long as all the other chapters, but I really couldn't find a good place to split it up. And the ending… I didn't really have that planned out. It was going to leave off at a separate point with Raph not even being in the apartment… but this just seemed more right. So now I've got to change the outline for the next chapter, which will have me changing the outline for the rest of the story…. And good god. I must be insane to have thought this story was a good idea. If the chapters keep getting longer, they will be fewer and farther between, just to give you all warning.

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Reluctant Dragon:** -Melodist makes a note to add in some fat prostitutes next chapter- Hehehehe…

Anyway, as for the Institute… you didn't really think there was only two lower levels, did you? Why build two, when you can build three or four? Just kidding -g- Actually, most of the kids did get out all right. All the upper levels were evacuated just fine, seeing as how they weren't really prisoners, just regular patients. There were only two bodies found on the lower levels…besides those of the guards that Lucas and his compatriots killed. (I don't consider the guards to be any great loss though). One was Harold's sister (The lizard-girl mentioned in a previous chapter), though she was dead long before the fire. The other was, unfortunately one of the Level A escapees that was killed by a gunshot while trying to help free the Level B's.

So, hope you enjoyed the Raphness in this chapter. :) There should be another one up in a week or so.

**Sassyblondexoxo:** -sighs- All the best sci-fi shows get cancelled. Take Firefly, for example. That show just kicked so much ass. I'm just happy that they're making a movie. You can bet I'll be there on opening night for that one. –shamelessly promotes the movie Serenity- Anyone who hasn't seen Firefly, GO WATCH IT NOW (on dvd) …You'll thank me, really you will.

**Reinbeauchaser:** Again, thanks for the heads up. I really appreciate it.

Austin's father… well… he's going to show up sooner or later. Though he's not a canon TMNT character, that much I'll tell. There will be something special about him that will greatly impact Austin's life though. This stuff won't be touched upon until the sequel though.

I have noticed that Austin is… well… she's more like my online personality, rather than my RL personality. Ever notice how when you get online, sometimes your whole demeanor and attitude changes? I'd say that there's a lot of Melodist in Austin. And there's a lot of me in Melodist. But there isn't as much _me_ in Austin. If that makes sense.

**Isis-Lament:** Leo is concerned about his brother, but also for his family's safety as a whole. He and Raph may not get along well, but he certainly doesn't want to see Raph hurt in any way. And, methinks he's also a little concerned that Austin might not be able to handle Raph, and will end up getting hurt as well. Leo's just an all around good kind of guy. He carries the weight of the world when he really doesn't need to, bless his heart.

As to your question, the TMNT universe I'm working from is a mix. It's mostly the new cartoon, but with a few changes. Shredder is human, for example, and Hun doesn't exist. I haven't quite decided what to do with April yet. I really like her as a news reporter in the movies, but hate her in the old cartoon. I LOVE the new April though. So she's probably going to end up being the brainy scientist April. :)

Ah, and as for the name 'Melodist'. This is old, old, old. I've had this online name since… well… I think it's been at least 8 years. It started out because I was in the X-Men fandom long ago. And I created a Mary Sue called Melodist. She was classic MS. When she sang, she could pretty much do anything: flight, telekinesis, morphing, fireballs, all kinds of shit. …ThankGOD that story never made it online. It was my first fanfic ever, and the one I'm most ashamed of. If I remember correctly, she won the heart of Wolverine. Yes, my love of bad boys goes back even to my adolescent days. But personally, I do love to sing which is why the name stuck. I may not sing _well_, but I sing proudly, and I sing often! …mostly in the shower, in the car, and at work.

**The REAL Cheese Monkey:** Oh yes. Yes he is. And he just becomes more and more sexy as the chapters go by.

**EntropyMage:** Yes, I am very evil. And you know what? I don't regret it one bit. :) Not a single bit! Mwahahahahaha! And you'll notice that Devon wasn't even _mentioned_ in this chapter. He's keeping his distance for the time being, but will return by the end of the story.

**Mickis:** Ask, and ye shall receive! Updates for all! …well, ok, one update. And now that you're done reading it (assuming you didn't skip down here first), I'm sorry I don't have another one ready for you. …Unless you're reading this in a few weeks from now and I've already posted another chapter… then I guess… uh… I'm glad I have more for you! …I think I just confused myself. Which isn't hard to do, considering how tired I am from working on this chapter. …. Ok. That's all I have to say. ….thanks for the review:)

**Buslady Of SoCal:** -grins- I hope that this chapter sent you drooling as well. I know it did me while I was writing it. I just can't help but think the greatest experience in the world would be a bike ride with Raph. Mmmmmm….


	14. Green Toes Are Weird

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. The Celestial Café belongs to me, and any similarity between any real people or places is totally coincidental.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **Yes, I know Raphael is 5'2" according to the official site. …but "five an' a half" just flows so much smoother off the tongue, just so you die-hard fans don't throw a fit when that brief sentence is mentioned. Oh. And just so there's no confusion later on, Donatello did dig up a bit more info on Austin then I've allowed him to share in the story. So he's well aware that something… not quite natural was going on at the Institute. And as for those videos he found…. One of them was indeed Austin. But what was happening to her?... Something not pretty. And that's all I'll say about that. For now.

_FunFact:_Austin's favorite movie is The Princess Bride. She has a thing for Mandy Patinkin.

* * *

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 13**

_Italics _areAustin's thoughts or flashback

* * *

There's that old metaphor about floodgates being opened and everything pouring out, and not being able to stop it. Well…that didn't happen to me. I didn't tell Raphael everything, but I told him enough. I told him about being taken to California, the birthday party, and Devon's death. I hadn't wanted to tell him that Devon's ghost still haunted me… literally… but I was sure he remembered I'd called for Devon back in the med lab, and I knew it was unlikely to assume I'd wake up thinking I was seven again and my brother was still alive. So I told him the truth. I figured he'd leave after that. He'd look at me like the psycho I was, and then leave without saying a word. …but he didn't. He sat still and listened as I went on to talk about the psychiatrists, and then the Greensage Institute. I told him a little about the experiments, but didn't go into details. It was still too frightening and painful to recall. He heard about my supernatural cellmates and the escape and how I'd lived with my newfound friends for a while before striking out on my own. I didn't tell him about the history I had with Jeremy though. There are some things better kept secret. 

I told Raph also of how I ended up jumping down a manhole cover and landing on top of him. And for some unknown reason I told him about the fight Devon and I had had, and how I hadn't heard from him since.

When I finally finished, I was exhausted. My muscles were sore from sitting still yet being incredibly tense throughout the account of my life. I felt as if I hadn't slept for days, and I also realized that I hadn't looked up from the coffee stain since I'd sat down on the couch. That little coffee stain was like my safety blanket. As long as I was looking at it, nothing would happen. If I tore my eyes away from it to see the expression on Raph's face, I thought maybe I'd start to cry. I had no clue what he was thinking, and I didn't want to know. He might be thinking how fucked up I am and in need of serious therapy. Or maybe he thinks I'm telling the truth and realizes that he needs to get as far away from me as possible because of who might be looking for me and in turn, find him. But all I knew was that I didn't want to look up into his face and see that he was going to leave. If he left, that meant I'd be alone again. Not just tonight… but _alone_ alone. I'd lose four potential friends, and god knows how hard it was for me to warm up to people. And Devon still hadn't come back. I supposed… I sighed and tried to relax back against the couch. If worse came to worse, I could always go back to California. Back to Jeremy. He'd welcome me with open arms I knew, but I was too ashamed to do that after all this time.

There was a movement to my side and I felt more than saw, Raph lean back against the couch and prop his feet up on my coffee table. My brow wrinkled in annoyance as I was forced to look at his feet instead of the coffee stain that was now directly under his heel. Knowing him, it probably hadn't been done on accident; he wanted me to look up. Part of me was a bit disgusted that his feet were on my table. I mean… he didn't wear shoes after all, and his feet must be dirty as hell. But then I'd feel guilty if I said anything because I couldn't count the number of times I'd plopped down on the couch and rested my steel toe hiking boots on the exact same spot. My coffee table wasn't exactly a hand carved heirloom that had survived a voyage to the New World after all. I'd picked it up at a thrift store for twenty-five bucks. But still. It was _my_ coffee table and he had _his_ feet on it…

And with a start I realized he only had two toes on each foot. For some reason I'd never even looked before now. I guess you miss the little details when you're still trying to comprehend the bigger ones. I don't know why, but this seemed like the strangest thing about him. I mean… only four toes? That's just… weird.

Some people have pointed out that my mind has a tendency to drift. I try not to dwell on serious things too long, probably as a result of denial or some shit. But sometimes even I surprise myself with how quick I can change topics of interest. I call it the 'oooh, shiney' effect. Instead of pondering Raphael's reaction to my life story, I all of a sudden found myself wondering what our children would look like. God knows I wouldn't want my children to have only two toes on each foot. Other kids would laugh and point and call them freaks. Yes, some part of my mind did realize that it probably wasn't even a possibility, but I still couldn't help but feel sorry for any alternate reality children out there that might exist between Raph and me. Only four toes… I wiggled all ten of mine still inside my shoes and sighed.

A clearing of a throat broke me from my sudden mind drift and I remembered the object of my attention was still sitting beside me. With a resolve I didn't know I had, I found myself clenching my jaw and slowly looking up. If he was going to say goodbye and leave me forever, then I was going to take it like a man. …uh… woman. Whatever.

I don't know what I'd expected to see, but whatever it was, the expression on his face wasn't it. He was looking at me impassively and never in the last three days had I wanted to smack him or kiss him so much. Which order to do it in, I wasn't sure of yet. He didn't seem to _care_. I was pissed. I'd just told him the trials and tribulations of my life, and he was acting like it was nothing. And I was elated because, well… he was _acting like it was nothing_. If I hadn't been so tired, I might have jumped him right there. Just hopped on his lap and begged him to take me in the bedroom and ravage me silly. But all I could do was look back at him and wait for him to speak. My throat was already sore from talking so damn much, and I didn't know what I'd say anyway if I did.

Raph was absently playing with the handle of one of his sais and I forced myself not to look down at the movement.

"In case you hadn't noticed…" He began in a slow and even tone, "you're talkin' to a five an' a half foot high ninja turtle."

"Yah, but…" My voice drifted off and I didn't quite know what to say. He _had_ a point. Most of what I'd described wouldn't seem all that unusual to him, now that I stopped to think about it. I suppose he and his brothers knew better than most how low humanity can sink, and what one person is capable of doing to another. And then there was the fact that Donatello knew about Adair. Which meant he had done some digging into my past. How much he knew, I couldn't be sure, but the fire at the Greensage Institute wasn't exactly top-secret. There had been at least fifty students evacuated from the above ground levels, and something like that just can't be covered up. But he'd known I was a prisoner of Adair… Damn. Donatello was smart. He must have connections I know nothing about. Perhaps none of what I'd said was news to Raph. Maybe he'd just wanted to hear me say it, or find out if I was going to lie to him. Either way, I couldn't blame him. I'd probably have done the exact same thing.

"So… You gonna leave?" I had to know. I might be wrong in my assumption, and this calm demeanor of his might just be a prelude to the goodbye.

"Are you kickin' me out?"

"You wouldn't go if I tried." The retort came out a little too snippy but it was too late to take it back, even if I'd wanted to. It had been an automatic response, a self-defense mechanism to keep things rough between us. If I'd asked him to stay, it would have been too intimate a proposal. I had to keep him at a distance, even if he still wanted to know me after all I'd told him.

I don't know why I thought that. This was what I wanted, right? Someone who accepted who I was and still wanted to be friends… or more? This is what I'd been missing since I left Jeremy, and Raph was offering it to me on a silver platter. He may not have realized it, and it might not be intentional, but it was the cold hard truth. I had no fucking clue what to do.

"So this Jeremy guy…" Raph's not so subtle change of topic broke me from my thoughts and I refocused on him. "He thinks Adair is back."

I nodded softly. "But he doesn't have a reason to come after me… I wasn't any use to him."

"You think that matters to guys like him? He's after power, and if he thinks you can give it to him-"

"He won't come after me!" I broke in defensively. "Jeremy should be worrying about himself! He's got a girlfriend and a kid to look after, he shouldn't be bothering me with this bull-"

"He's right and you know it, Austin!" Raph's tone had changed in an instant and it took me by surprise. He pulled his feet from the coffee table and sat up, twisting toward me on the couch and grabbing my shoulders in a grip that made me think he didn't know his own strength. I've always been bad at reading people. Human emotions are hard enough for me to comprehend, and I realized I'd made a serious mistake with Raph. What I'd mistaken for not caring was actually an extremely thin veil that hid a thoroughly pissed off turtle. Maybe he'd been holding it back because he didn't want to frighten me. Maybe he'd held it back for some other reason I couldn't fathom. But he was letting it show through now and I discovered I wasn't actually frightened. Unsettled, perhaps, but never frightened. Not of him.

There was a fire in his eyes burning dangerously and he practically shook with anger He cared. He cared a hell of a lot more than he wanted me to know and I thought I finally understood how fast he'd fallen for me. I thought Mikey was the one I'd have to watch out for… But Raph was proving me wrong. I shouldn't have told him about the Institute. That must have really ticked him off if he cared about me so much. "If that fuckin' psycho finds you, he won't waste any time locking you up in a cage again! The kid on the phone was right. You need protection."

I swallowed hard, but didn't pull away. "And I suppose you can offer me that." I said quietly but firmly. The walls were going up again, as much as I tried to fight it. I didn't want anyone telling me what I did or didn't need.

"Damn right I can."

"I don't need yo-"

"Oh no. Don't give me that bullshit,_ Aus_."

I wanted to punch him. No one called me Aus, unless they were a Miracle. I didn't even let Devon call me that. It was special. My own eyes flashed and I glared him down. Or I tried to. Raph wasn't easily bested in the 'pissed off glares' contest.

"I've made it this far on my own, and I _don't need you_."

"Oh yah? If it wasn't for me, you'd be lyin' with a broken neck down in the sewers."

"Yah, I'm so glad you were there for me to land on. That took real skill on your part."

"You know what your problem is?"

"You?"

He practically snarled, and if his fingers hadn't been digging into my shoulders still, I thought he might have slapped me. "You're afraid of anyone gettin' too close."

Oh wow, brilliant observation there. It takes one to know one, buddy. But I didn't say that. I came up with something slightly less clever. "Well _you're_ just…" I struggled to find something to say. Anything. But words failed me like so often they do, and I was left with my mouth hanging open slightly. "…weird." I finally spat out, thinking about his toes again. I gave him a smug nod that was completely faked, even as I marveled at my own stupidity.

Raphael stared at me. He knew that _he_ was right, but found my insult… well… lacking. I wanted to hang my head in shame. My brain was hurting, I was tired, and apparently my verbal skills were lapsing. I silently dared him to try to take me on when I'm wide awake and not upset. I'd really give him a verbal run for his money.

"I'm… weird." He repeated slowly, unsure if he'd heard me correctly. Biting my bottom lip, I nodded, my cheeks reddening to a shade that almost matched his bandana. I felt the pressure of his fingers ease up, as if he'd finally realized how tightly he was holding on. I could see the anger in his features receding and I think he had discovered that perhaps I wasn't at my most competent right now. It had been a rather long day for me, after all. And despite all I'd said, I was still scared. I had no idea how I'd keep myself safe from Adair. I didn't want help, but I'd been wrong about _needing_ it. We'd always thought Adair might come back, the Miracles and I. It was something that had been at the back of our minds from our first day of freedom. That had been one of the reasons I was so desperate to contact Susan. She was high society. If anyone could give me protection, it was her. She had the money, and I'm sure her husband had the contacts. And with any luck, it would be within the next day or two.

I sighed and looked away from Raph, just as a small yawn escaped from my mouth. Embarrassed, I tried to cover it with my hand while glancing at the clock. It was almost 1:45 in the morning.

I twitched a little as I felt his finger brush my cheek and I realized he was pushing back the same stray wisp of hair that he'd done earlier. If he told me I was cute again… well… ok, I'd probably fall into his arms, despite having been pissed at him less than a minute before. But I'd definitely let him know that he still wasn't getting into my pants. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me I was cute again.

"It's late… I should get some sleep." I mumbled and tried to stand. He said nothing but stood up as well, than reached for me once more. I started to take a step back, shaking my head. He was not going to woo me again. Dammit, he was going to leave this time, and I was going to get some sleep.

And thus, fate decided to stick her hand in things. Again. The leather jacket I'd dropped to the floor caught the heel of my boot as I pulled away, and I felt myself start to topple backwards. Had I not known this was an accident of my own devices, I might have thought Raph had planned it. In just a heartbeat, he'd caught me up in his arms and pulled me to him before I could fall back and dash my head on the little painted brick half wall. Before I had time to be humiliated, Raphael leaned down and scooped me up in his arms. I felt a bit silly and struggled some, but he gave me a look that read annoyance and I calmed down.

"You need sleep." He confirmed and started walking.

"I can walk."

"Apparently not."

And he carried me into the bedroom.

* * *

For the second time in as many days, I woke to the ringing of the phone. The difference this time being, I was in a fantastically good sleep, one like I hadn't had in years. I mumbled some sort of curse and reached for the old-fashioned brass rotary phone that I'd bought in an antique store a few weeks back. I must have been out of my mind when I thought a phone in the bedroom had been a good idea. 

"Hello?" I mumbled, sure I sounded like some sort of stoner.

"Austin?"

"Uh… I think so." I hate to say, I am not a morning person. And being woken up by the phone really disorients me. I'm usually caught in that sleepy state that's halfway between dreams and waking for at least five minutes. I always felt sorry for whoever had the misfortune of being the one that woke me. I probably wouldn't remember the call by the time I fully woke up.

"Um… this is Leonardo."

For the life of me, I couldn't remember who the hell Leonardo was. "The painter?" I asked stupidly, the blurry numbers on the clock slowly coming into focus. 7:36am.

"…No… um… is this a bad time, Austin?"

"I… don't think so." I swear, he must have been silent for almost a minute, probably trying to decide whether he'd gotten the wrong number or not. A face finally floated into my mind and I managed to connect that green face with the name. "The turtle. Leonardo the turtle. Not the painter."

"Yes…"

"Oh. Hi."

"Hi… listen… I'm really sorry for calling this early… but…" The hesitation in his voice was starting to annoy me and I wanted him to spit it out so I could go back to sleep. "Well… Raphael didn't come home last night. Is he… I mean…" If I'd been awake enough to hear the embarrassment in his voice, I'd probably have giggled at him. "Have you seen him? This morning…?"

I blinked, trying to clear my mind then pulled the blankets off and sat up. "Um… I don't know. Lemme think…"

Had he spent the night? I looked down and saw I was still wearing the same clothes from last night, minus the boots. I vaguely remembered Raph carrying me into my bedroom, and setting me down. Who took my shoes off, I couldn't remember. I'd fallen asleep almost instantly, and I think I remembered his hand on my hip just as I was drifting off.

"Austin?" Leo's voice broke into my thoughts again and I yawned and shook my head to clear the last bits of fuzzyness from my eyes.

"Yah, sorry… um…" I glanced around the room, but didn't see Raph. If he'd slept here, there was no evidence of it. And I hardly think he'd have settled for the couch after the little scene between us last night against the wall. Mmmm, that was a nice memory even if we'd been interrupted by the damn phone.

Now, I have a very bad habit of saying what I'm thinking when I'm extremely tired. So instead of just saying his brother wasn't here, the words that came from my mouth weren't the most thought out. "He's not in bed with me, so he must have left after I fell asleep. We were up pretty late going at it..." What I meant by the words 'going at it', was the little argument between Raph and I. …Leonardo didn't know that.

There was a stunned silence from his end of the line and when I realized what I'd said I wanted to smack myself. "Oh god, no, I don't mean it like that!" I really shouldn't have felt the need to justify myself, because if Jeremy hadn't called I'm absolutely sure Raphael and I would have taken this shaky relationship of ours to a completely new level.

"We had a bit of a fight, that's all! Nothing happened like _that_. But everything's okay now, and he helped me get to my room cause I was tired and couldn't walk and um… so nothing happened and I fell asleep, and I didn't wake up til you called…um, but he's not here that I know of. And nothing happened!" I paused from my embarrassed ramblings just long enough to take a breath. "Sorry."

"I see… well… if you hear from him, would you tell him to get his shell back home, please?" I don't think he believed me. Oh well, fuck it. Let Leo think what he wants.

"Yah, sure."

"Thanks, Austin." He paused like he wanted to say something more, probably some little speech about how he hoped we'd taken precautions and that I better have honest intentions towards his brother, but must have thought better of it. There was a soft click and he hung up.

Hanging up my own end of the line, I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair. The tie must have fallen out while I was sleeping and my unruly curls were hanging messily around my face. I pushed the strands back behind my ears and mentally chastised myself for being such an idiot. I shouldn't care, really I shouldn't. But I was a bit miffed at the fact that Leo now thought I was a slut when in fact, I hadn't been laid in at least… a month. Hey, that's a long time for me. I briefly considered calling him back and letting him know that, but I ran into the obstacle of still not knowing the phone number. Oh well. He probably wouldn't appreciate that little tidbit of info.

I glared at the clock again and then down at my clothes. I hated sleeping in my clothes. …I hated sleeping in ANY clothes. Considering my past, one would think I'd hate being naked, but it was actually a comfort. Four years of not being allowed clothes has an impact. I remember the first time I put a shirt on after leaving the Institute. I hated it. The cloth had itched against my skin and I tore it off after wearing it for only five minutes. Nine years later and I still hadn't grown accustomed to clothes. Of course, you couldn't function in normal society without clothes, so I'd forced myself to take up the habit. Still, at home and in bed, more often than not I found myself wandering around naked. And if not naked, than with as little on as possible. My tie dye 'jammy pants were an exception. They had been a gift from Jeremy, and I still clung to them like a safety blanket, despite being in denial about my feelings for him.

With a sigh I stood shakily, my reflexes still being a bit off. The sleep was starting to wear off and I knew I wouldn't go back to bed now without help. A hot shower and a cup of tea should work perfectly. And dammit, I was going to sleep in til at least 2pm after that. I stumbled for the bathroom, stripping off my clothes along the way. The cheery rainy day ducky shower curtain greeted me and I flipped off one particular duck that was jumping in a puddle splashing water all over himself. I hated this shower curtain. But it had been on clearance when I'd gone shopping, and I hadn't bothered to buy a new one since. As I was waiting for the spray of water to heat up, I wondered if I could find a curtain with little turtles. Preferably wearing little red masks. And wielding sais. …and kicking the asses of some cheery little ducklings. That would be a shower curtain that would bring a smile to my face every morning.

Stepping into the shower, I pulled the curtain around the claw foot tub and sighed happily as the near scalding water cascaded over me. I don't know how long I stood there letting my mind drift over random thoughts. It must have been a long while, because the water finally started to cool down and I had to turn the tap to the hottest it would go. When even that wouldn't keep the water hot, I sighed and turned the shower off. I stepped out onto a light green bath rug and grabbed a towel. In the mirror I could see my reflection, and I looked… red. My skin was pleasantly tingling from the hot water and I looked rather happily flushed. It was a wonderful feeling.

I toweled off lightly, then started to dry my hair as I walked out of the bathroom. The cool air of the bedroom slid deliciously over my still damp naked skin and I smiled softly at the feeling. Which lasted only a moment.

I froze two paces into the bedroom, my head tilted to one side as one hand held the towel against my dripping hair. My other hand was reaching up behind me, trying to scratch a spot between my shoulder blades, which in turn had caused me to push my chest out in an effort to reach the offending spot. If I thought my skin had been red after the shower, the blush in my cheeks now increased tenfold.

Raphael was standing just inside the door to my bedroom, staring at me in shock.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Bwahahahahhahahahah! 

Ok, my apologies that this chapter was so short. (In comparison to my last chapter) But if I don't post what I have now, you all won't get anything more until this weekend, and I don't really want to wait that long to post.

Plus, I'm evil and just can't help leaving it with an ending like this. –runs and hides from all the reviewers who want to kill her now-

But. …I'm a REALLY bad person and I _may_ just repost this chapter to the Misadventures LJ…. With a bit more –ahem- "adult" material added in. Don't go rushing over thinking there's going to be some hot turtle-lovin' though. It's nothing that's going to change what's happened in the story up to this point. Think of it more like… an Austin 'cut-scene'. Something too graphic for But I still haven't decided if I'm going to write it yet. If I do, it will probably be in a day or two.

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Reinbeauchaser: **Whee! It took me a while but I finally figured out how to delete the first review. Anyway. :) Thanks for the absolutely awesome review. I really appreciate it. Yes… Austin definitely has issues. Even I'm afraid to delve into her mind sometimes. She's very… hypocritical sometimes. And she knows it, but can't help herself.

And my Raph is a bit more grown up. He's learned to control himself just a little better, but he's still a hothead and a rogue. But he's also not an idiot. He does stupid things, but the difference is he _knows_ they're stupid. I like to think that Splinter taught him a bit more common sense than some people seem to think. It rather bugs me when authors portray Raph as nothing but an uncouth moron. So I try to add a little depth to him.

As for his intuitiveness, my turtles aren't mind-readers or anything like that. They can't project verbal thoughts, but they are very in tune with each other. Feelings and emotions can be felt easily between them, and they can sense basic emotions in humans. Honestly, I think it's a bit like feeling a person's aura and reading their body movements. It's something that they grew up learning how to do with Splinter's guidance. A mix of mental and physical awareness. I hope that makes sense.

Ooooh, Peretti! I actually have read some of his books, though it was a very long time ago. I was back in high school at the time. I openly admit, I'm no longer a Christian. I spent 12 years in a Christian school, and it wasn't a great experience. But I have great respect for the religion itself though, and Peretti has always been, at least in my opinion, one of the best writers published. His attention to detail and suspense make for excellent reading. I remember The Oath was one of my favorites of his. It's actually funny you should mention him. Just the other day my roommates and I were talking about his books over dinner and remembering how well-written they were. –ponders- Now I have an itch to go pick up some of his books again. I think it's time for a trip to the local used book store. –grin-

**Buslady Of SoCal:** I've always seen Raph as very passionate. He's quick to anger, and even quicker to love. I guess the best word for it would be 'unrestrained'. But he doesn't just go around hopping in girls beds left and right. He's possessive which can be good, and bad. I see him as the type of guy that wants one girl, and wants her completely. Austin, unfortunately, doesn't give herself to anyone like that. So if it's her heart he wants, it's going to take a lot of work on his part.

**Reluctant Dragon :** Hehehe. I like your description of Raph. –giggles and channels Shrek- He's like an onion. He's got layers.

Ok, sorry for that obscure reference. :) But the real question is, will Austin see Raph the same way we do? Yah, she thinks he's sexy, but how will she feel about him 'the morning after'? …not that it's going to happen. –nervous look- Because… um… crap. I just gave away a major plot point. Damn my uninhibited mouth!

**Pretender Fanatic:** Ahhh, yes. Enter Adair. …kind of. Austin thought that part of her life was over, and then BAM! …What a time to find out, eh? I don't know if I'd have been able to pull myself away from Raph like that. I don't have a Jeremy like that in my life, but if I did, I think I'd give him up for Raph in a heartbeat.

**DW**: Well, Raph knows about Devon now, but I don't think Devon will ever show up again while he's around. But who knows? Devon has a way of showing up at the worst possible moments.

As for the mysterious funder… well… there are plans in the works for that. The funder has something to do with a canon TMNT situation/person/somethingIwon'tsay. I'm so vague, don't you love it? I will say this though. My TGRI is more like the movie version than the newer cartoon version. And I'm not familiar with the comics too much, so I don't know how it's handled in there. But it will be addressed at some point.

And Lucas freeing them from the Institute… well, he was one of the kids that was cooperating with Adair and learning to control his powers. But Adair didn't realize the extent of his abilities. The 'escape' had been in the plans for many years, but Lucas and his companions didn't want to attempt anything until they were sure they would succeed. Hope that answers your question!

**Isis-Lament: **-Melodist sends a Raphaelgram to Isis-Lament. He arrives wearing a cowboy hat and starts strumming his guitar and singing "To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks, then finishes with a gentle kiss to your hand and asks you to marry him because he's put his rebel days behind him and oh. He got rid of his bike and bought a station wagon instead-

Hehehehehehehehe. And yes. Austin sings in the shower. ;)

**Mickis** : -falls over giggling- I love your reviews. They make me laugh, oh yes, they do.

And I'll let you in on a little secret. :) The cheese line? That was a vague little reference inspired by Buffy, of which I am a HUGE fan. I believe it was the 4th season finale, with the dream sequences. "I wear the cheese. The cheese does not wear me."

Yah, I'm a geek. And so is my muse. She sits on my shoulder and spouts off obscure quotes from movies that only like… 4 people have seen and expects me to use them in my story. I try to tell her that not everyone thinks _Tank Girl_ is the funniest movie ever made, but she doesn't want to listen. –sigh-

**The REAL Cheese Monkey: **Oooooh, no. It's not good at all. Although… she has a very aggressive, possessive turtle looking after her now. I don't think he's going to let her go without a fight.

**Trillian4210:** -blushes and beams with pride at your review- You're great for my ego. :) Please feel free to continue reviewing as often as you want. This is the first serious story I've put any effort behind, and it's coming along better than I thought it would. I've been thinking lately about going back to college and taking some writing classes. (The last one I took was 6 years ago when I was a senior in high school).

Mmmm, and yes. Raph definitely deserves to get laid. –volunteers- :) It's going to be interesting to see what happens now that the gloves have been taken off. …and the shirt… and the pants… and the underwear…

**kaya lizzie:** -grin- I hope this chapter lived up to expectations. Again, I apologize for leaving it so short, but it just seemed right to cut it off there. …because I'm evil. Evil evil evil. And I make no apologies! …except for the one I already did… uh… yah. Whatever. I'll go write more now…. Yah.

And nuns are funny. –giggles-


	15. Pillow Talk and Legal Documents

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin is mine. Mine mine mine mine mine. The restaurant mentioned (Iovanni's) is also my own creation, because I'm not too familiar with New York 5-star restaurants. So I made my own. Wheeee! Artistic License is FUN!

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **This is more of a complaint than a note. I _still_ haven't seen Same As It Never Was. And I desperately want to, because it looks like there's a lot of good fic based off that storyline. Why oh why can't they release the episodes on DVD any faster? sighs Ok. Done complaining.

Oh yes. And as of this chapter, Misadventures is officially an M rated story. …You're welcome.

_FunFact:_For those wondering, yes, Austin has been in contact with Jeremy frequently over the years. It was sort of a 'condition' of her leaving the Miracles. He wanted to make sure she stayed safe.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 14**

_Italics _areAustin's thoughts or flashback. Or emphasis on a spoken word.

* * *

To my credit, I can happily say I didn't freak out. Yes, he surprised me, but it was something I could deal with. I didn't start screaming little girlie screams and throw things at Raphael, and tell him to get out of my room. I didn't turn and run back into the bathroom out of mortification, and I didn't gasp and frantically pull the towel off my head in an effort to cover what he'd already seen. When I was thirteen, and my body was just starting to develop, I had perverted guards staring at me like I was some private 24-hour peep show. But by then I'd already grown accustomed to being watched, and it was just another daily occurrence. Not that I didn't mind seeing the smoldering bodies of the guards lying on the floor on my way out of the Institute. I even kicked a few of them in the crotch for good measure, despite the fact they were obviously dead. Never waste a free shot. 

Anyway. It _did_ take me a few seconds to recover from the surprise of seeing Raph standing there. The shocked expression on his face had quickly given over to an amused smile that was now turning into an all out shit-eating grin. I glared at him and continued drying my hair, trying to pretend like I didn't care that he was looking at me in my butt naked glory. I lowered the towel and shook my hair out a bit, then calmly wrapped it around myself, still glaring.

"My face is up here."

Still grinning he looked up without an ounce of shame. "I have breakfast… unless you'd rather have something else…"

I glanced down and realized he was holding a bag of some sort… and then I smelled it. "Doughnuts?" I asked cautiously, wondering if, perhaps, he could be swayed down a different train of thought. It was only eight in the morning and despite the rude wake-up call, I was still rather tired. Sex was quite honestly, not one of my top priorities. I wanted to crash into my soft warm bed.

"Mmm." Was all he said. And I'm quite sure he wasn't actually referring to what was in the bag.

"_That's_ a healthy breakfast." I said sarcastically, choosing to ignore his perverted look. "How the hell did you get doughnuts?"

He dropped the bag on the bed and took a step towards me, still grinning that Cheshire cat grin. "Had 'em delivered."

I pursed my lips and stood my ground. "I wasn't aware that-" I paused and looked at the name written on the bag. "-Kork's delivered."

"Kork's doesn't. Casey does." The name rang a bell. I thought, but wasn't sure, that Casey was one of their other human friends. June's boyfriend. …or was it April? …Probably May. I hadn't bothered to commit it to memory, but I'm pretty sure her name wasn't October or February. Oddly enough I had met a girl named September once. She was a perky petite blond and I'd always hated her. But back to the big green matter at hand. Raphael. He took a last slow step up to me, head half cocked, and grinning that fucking annoying grin.

I was just about to tell him off when he raised his hands and traced twin lines up my bare arms. It was eerily reminiscent of when I was in his kitchen right after the poker hand, and it achieved quite the same effect. I shivered slightly, his eyes lowering to where his fingers now were brushing my shoulders. They stopped. I saw the smile die on his face and his eyes grew too serious for the moment. Confused, I didn't say anything. Had he found some flaw on me that turned him off so abruptly? And if so, would he mind if I beat the living hell out of him?

"Shit…" Raphael whispered softly and I followed his eyes to where they were looking at my shoulders. A dark bruise just below my left shoulder; on the right was its mirror image. I stared down perplexed, until it finally dawned on me. Last night on the couch. He'd gripped my shoulders so hard his fingers left bruises. I had been right; Raph must not have realized his own strength… but then again, I always have bruised rather easily.

In all honesty, it wasn't that bad. The bruises were already fading from blue to a light brown with sickly pale yellow edges. I've suffered worse over the years and it didn't seem like a big deal to me. Apparently he thought differently. He stared at the bruises, not quite in horror but rather with the realization that he'd done something stupid. The look on his face was actually quite comical seeing as how it just didn't suit him. If I could have made some excuse for the marks I would have to let him off the hook, but he knew just as well as I did what had caused them.

"Raph?" I asked trying to sound as lighthearted as possible. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

He looked up at me, clearly not satisfied with words.

"Really, it's ok. I bruise easy and heal fast. Hell, this one time-"

"It's not okay." He interrupted harshly, attempting to beat himself up over it. Oh lord, just what I needed. For Raphael to turn into a depressed self-loathing turtle.

"Oh for god's sake." I rolled my eyes and leaned forward taking him completely by surprise. It took _me_ by surprise as well. I hadn't _meant_ to kiss him. The thought hadn't even entered my mind until I did it. And yet I found myself kissing him sweet, slow, and forgiving. It wasn't full of passion and longing; it was just a little thing, and when I pulled away he was still slightly stunned. I decided to make my point as clear as possible.

"Listen to me, dammit. It's _nothing_. I've received a hell of a lot worse during a night of rough sex, and if you even _think_ of treating me like I'm some fragile little thing who'll break at the first touch then you better get the fuck of my apartment. If you're going to be my lover then I'm expecting to wake up feeling sore and covered in bruises every single morning, you got it?"

If someone were to ask me when the defining moment of my relationship with Raphael took place, I'd tell them… well… I'd probably tell them something else to save a lot of embarrassment on their part. But the truth would have been those few brief seconds when he was staring at me in astonishment as my words sunk into his brain.

When he slammed me up against the wall, I knew he'd understood me perfectly. At that point I didn't care though, because his mouth was on mine, and the towel I'd so deftly wrapped around myself under his focused gaze had been torn off and thrown unceremoniously to the floor. Any objections I might have had about taking someone of a different _species_ to my bed were tossed out with the towel. But then again, we weren't actually in the bed yet, so it probably didn't matter. He was human enough for me.

In less than an instant, Raphael had taken me from calm, composed, and rather tired all the way to frantic, wanton, and extremely excited. …this was a new record, even for me. He had definitely earned his bragging rights, and we had hardly gotten started. Stars danced in my eyes, and I'm not sure if it was due to my arousal, or the fact that I'd been shoved violently up against a wall. Either way, I wasn't protesting. His hands left no part of my body untouched, and I don't know if I'd ever felt more alive than in this moment.

And when the phone rang, I was too busy crying out his name to bother answering it.

* * *

We didn't make love. There's no such thing in my opinion. It's a silly useless term to describe a physical act that in reality involves a lot of grunting, groaning, straining, screaming, pushing, pulling, and sweating. There's very little 'love' involved. It's 'fucking', plain and simple. Afterwards if the couple is so inclined, they can snuggle and cuddle together and whisper sweet nothings to each other and say they love each other so much. 

Raphael and I didn't say any 'I love you's, either mid-coitus or post. It's not his way, and it's certainly not mine. There were plenty of other colorful words and phrases spoken between the two of us though. Besides I was pretty sure he wasn't in love with me. In lust, certainly, but not love. And I wasn't in love with him. The future possibility was there, but it was slim. After we'd finally settled down and were resting comfortably on top of my bed sheets, I'd finally taken a look at the clock. It was almost noon. Say what you will about turtles, you can't deny they have stamina. At least the mutant ninja variety has.

We lay there in a post-intercourse haze, breathing heavy and whispering sweet nothings to each other. …ok, not really. Had anyone been watching it might have _looked_ like sweet nothings. It was actually more of an acknowledgment of each other's skills. 'You're amazing at doing _that_', or 'God I want you to do _this_ next time', or 'I never knew doing _such-and-such_ could feel so incredibly good'. Even after we were both spent though, we couldn't keep our hands off of each other. Light touches, teasing caresses… he even tickled me a couple times, damn him. And the kissing. _God_, was there ever kissing. I don't know who taught Raphael all his bedroom tricks, but if I ever met her I was going to buy her a drink and then send her a Thank You card.

The only thing that was bothering me about the whole affair was that neither of us had even stopped to consider protection the first time… or the second… or the third… But it had seemed like such a surreal situation, at least to me. I mean… it's not like I could get pregnant, right? I may not be a scientist, but I'm pretty sure there are way too many conflicting genes there. But… a small part of my mind set the idea on a back burner to simmer. Next time I'd be more careful.

For now though I was happily lying on my side, every once in a while wiggling my rear end back against his plastron in an effort to get closer. Raph would respond by growling softly and tightening his arm around me, pulling me firmly to him. His fingers were lazily tracing little patterns on my stomach and one thing was sure. I was definitely going to need another shower.

I yawned contentedly and stretched out a little, the soreness already starting to settle on my body. The feeling was wonderful and I thought if I were to die now it would be an extremely happy death. I'd forgotten what it was like curl up with someone in bed like this. It was an odd thing to think, but no guy I'd been with had made me feel like this since Jeremy. Maybe I was just more attracted to freaks. It's not like Jeremy was all that normal anyway. He was a Telepath for pete's sake. And I admit, I'd had a bit of a crush on Lucas as well. The fiery Magi had a temperament that rivaled Raphael's. Maybe it was just my karmic destiny to fall in with guys who couldn't operate in the norm of society. Legally, neither Jeremy, Lucas, nor Raphael existed.

I glanced down at the green three fingered hand that was stroking my skin and smiled. There was no denying, Raphael was extraordinary and he was mine… at least for a little while. Sooner or later one of us would bail; I was pretty sure it was going to be me. But for now, I was happy. Screw life, I just wanted to lay here in bed with him and forget everything. He didn't though.

"If that psycho-fuck doctor comes anywhere near you…" He nuzzled the back of my neck with his beak and tightened his hold further. "…I'm gonna gut him."

"Mmmm…" I closed my eyes and snuggled into my pillow. "How romantic."

"I will."

"I have dibs on him already."

Raphael was silent for a moment and I felt him move, propping himself up on one arm and leaning over me. I opened my eyes reluctantly and looked up at him. His face was deadly serious and it almost made me feel uneasy. "If I have anythin' to say about it, you won't get within a mile of him."

I sighed. I didn't really want to get into this discussion with him again. "I'm not saying I'm going to go _looking_ for him. God, I'm not stupid, Raph. But on the off chance he shows up at my apartment and I happen to have a meat cleaver in my hand, I'm going to kill the fucker."

He narrowed his eyes at me and I knew he didn't like the idea. But I was distracted by his lack of an eye mask and I smiled. Somewhere in the trip from the wall to the floor to the bed, he'd lost his bandana and it somehow made him seem more… bald. But definitely cute. I reached up and pulled him down for another kiss, which he only resisted for a moment, probably still thinking about me going ballistic on someone with a cleaver. But he gave in rather quickly.

Now, I may have started the kiss, but it was Raphael who deepened it. The hand that wasn't holding him up started exploring and I was soon squirming with delight. And when the phone rang this time, I almost started laughing at the sheer irony of it. Raph looked up and glared at the offending object and if I hadn't reached for it, I'm sure he would have ripped the cord out of the wall. I made a mental note to remove the phone from the bedroom altogether.

"Hell-" I yelped in surprise as Raph bit my neck, not giving me a chance to finish my greeting. Apparently he objected to me answering the phone, although he no reason to. It wasn't like he hadn't been satisfied a couple times already this morning. Raph looked up with a wicked gleam in his eyes and I felt his hand move to my inner thigh. '_No'_, I mouthed to him, shook my head and then I spoke into the phone again. "Uh… hello?"

"Hi, Austin."

"Oh. Um… hey Leo." Raphael's eyes darkened and his playful touches stopped abruptly.

"Would you please put Raph on the phone. I know he's there." I bit my lip and looked at Raphael who was still holding himself above me.

"I… um… Yah." What else could I say? I wasn't going to _lie_ to Leonardo. But it felt like I was admitting to some sort of crime by acknowledging Raph was there.

I gave Raph an apologetic look and held the phone out to him. He glowered at it for a moment before practically ripping it out of my hand and flopping down next to me on the bed.

"Whaddya want, Leo?" I could hear the irritation in his voice and decided I really didn't want to be in the room for this conversation. Besides, I was extremely thirsty after our rather… rigorous activities. I slipped out from under the phone cord and Raph gave me a look that clearly said he didn't want me to leave the bed. I smiled and pointed to the kitchen and mimed taking a drink of water. He frowned, probably at whatever Leo was saying to him on the other end of the line, but nodded that it was okay for me to leave.

I rolled my eyes at him. Like I needed his fucking permission. I didn't bother getting dressed. I'd probably just be hopping in to the shower soon anyway. Crossing the open space of the living room, I smiled as my naked skin was bathed in the sunlight coming in through the window. It was a nice happy feeling and I reveled in it for a second before the beep from the answering machine caught my attention. I still hadn't erased all of Jeremy's messages from last night. I stepped out of the light and up to the black marbled kitchen counter. Eight messages. I looked down at the blinking red '8' and wondered if Jer had called more times than I remembered.

I hit 'play' and let the messages cycle through. The first six were from Jeremy. His voice got progressively more anxious, and I couldn't help but feel a small wave of fear as I listened to them, this time knowing what he was talking about. He never spoke his name, and he never gave his number. Jeremy always had been over cautious and over dramatic. But then, he had more to worry about than I did. The only one I had to look out for was myself. He had his daughter and his girlfriend, neither of whom were 'normal'.

I glanced over at the fridge where a crayon drawing hung and wondered if Raph had noticed it. In large green letters was written "To Aunt Aus" on the top of the paper. Below it was a stick figure Jeremy, a stick figure Kylie, a young stick figure girl, and a stick figure me. All neatly labeled. The little girl's name read "Ivy", and she was holding the hand of stick figure me. It was oddly reminiscent of the drawing I'd done many years ago for Jason and Devon, and I wondered if that one was still hanging on Jason's fridge. Probably not. He'd most likely tossed it out long ago.

As I listened to Jeremy's voice I smiled at the thought of Ivy. She was a good kid. A little blond haired hellion that didn't take crap from anyone. Of all her 'aunts' and 'uncles', I was her favorite, god only knows why. Jeremy was going to have his hands full when she hit puberty. Those bouncy blond curls and gorgeous sapphire eyes were going to draw every straight male within 200 miles.

Jeremy's last message ended and I wasn't surprised to hear Leonardo's voice next. He sounded more than a little annoyed as he apologized for calling again so soon, then asked to have Raph call him back as soon as possible. …I blushed slightly as I realized it must have been him calling while Raph had me up against the wall. I hadn't even _heard_ the phone ring a second time though. So it caught me by surprise when the next voice came on.

"Hello, Ms. Bridger? This is Michelle Drake, Mrs. Carmine's assistant. I'm calling to let you know your presence has been requested at a private luncheon today at 1:30."

I frantically glanced at the clock. It was 12:32 already. The assistant's voice continued on, rattling off an address and a phone number to call back and confirm the time. Then she hung up. I grabbed a piece of paper and listened to the message again, hastily writing down the information. Honestly, I hadn't expected her to get back to me this fast, if at all. I was safe. I grinned a confident little grin. Adair wouldn't be able to touch me now. Without even thinking that Raph might still be on the phone, I grabbed the handset and clicked it on. I got a dial tone and punched in the numbers quickly. Within only a few moments I'd confirmed with Michelle that yes, I would definitely be there, although it might be a few minutes late. I explained that I'd just gotten the message and she seemed very polite and said she'd inform Mrs. Carmine.

I hung up, and raced back to the bedroom. I had to shower and get out of here if I was going to make it on time. The restaurant I was supposed to meet Susan at was across town. But Raphael was still on my bed, reclining comfortably and looking for all the world like he expected me to hop back in with him. …it was tempting. I stared at him for a moment, almost forgetting about WHY I'd raced back into the bedroom. He was leaning back against the headboard, one leg stretched out in front of him, the other pulled up with a nicely muscled arm resting on the knee. His other hand was lightly sitting on his thigh, and the sight quite honestly, took my breath away. My eyes kept dragging back to those arms. God, he was sexy.

I swallowed hard and gestured to the bathroom. "I need to get cleaned and get out of here. Susan wants me to meet her at 1:30…" My voice trailed off as he glanced at the clock and then grinned and gestured for me to come to him.

"We got time."

"It's across town…" I said even as I walked toward him. God, I wasn't even putting up a fight. I was so freakin' weak sometimes.

Raphael sat up and growled softly as I reached his side of the bed. He pulled me down roughly and flipped me onto my back, straddling my thighs and pinning my arms to the bed in one swift movement. I whimpered… but not in protest. His voice was thick and demanding "I'm gonna make you scream… again."

And he did.

* * *

12:50pm found me taking the quickest shower of my life. 

12:55pm found me racing through the apartment in the jeans from last night and a clean blouse that I'd found hiding in one of my drawers.

12:56pm found me in Raph's arms in a very ardent goodbye kiss.

1:00pm _still_ found me in Raph's arms, with his hands under my blouse.

1:04pm found me bent over the little half wall next to the door, my blouse hanging open as I gasped his name repeatedly.

1:10 _finally_ found me frantically flagging down a cab outside my building.

As I climbed in the backseat, the chubby white guy with the Brooklyn accent behind the wheel gave me a knowing look. My blouse was buttoned wrong, my face was still flushed, and I just know I still had that glazed look in my eyes. I hadn't bothered to wash my hair a second time, and wisps of hair were flying wildly out of the loose ponytail I'd pulled it into. I probably smelled like sex too.

Smiling sheepishly, I told the cabby where I wanted to go, and I'd give him an extra thirty if he got me there by 1:30. He took the challenge. Unfortunately, the ride wasn't nearly as exciting as my outing with Raph had been. As the cabbie whipped in and out of traffic, I sat back and re-buttoned my blouse, then tried to tame my hair as much as possible.

My thoughts were like a maelstrom in my head. Images of Raph bounced around in my mind and mingled with images of Susan, Jeremy, Ivy, and Devon. It was an interesting mix of contentedness, guilt, depression, nostalgia, and sheer bliss. I couldn't seem to settle on one thought, and I seriously considered telling the cabbie to head for the train station so I could just run away from it all. It wouldn't be the first time I'd done that to avoid responsibility. Something told me that even if I tried though, it would catch up to me sooner or later. Raph would find me, I was pretty sure… or Jeremy. Jer had excellent resources. Or worse still, Adair would find me. I sighed and closed my eyes. I might have just made the worst mistake of my life with Raph. Or maybe it was the best? I don't know. I bit my lip and tried to concentrate instead on the meeting I was heading for. How would Susan react? Would she run to me crying, thanking god that I was alive and had found her? Would she react coolly, smiling warmly and shaking my hand? Or would she treat me like the scum of the earth and tell me never to bother her again. I don't think that was going to be the case. She wouldn't have invited me to lunch if that was how it was going to play out.

As we neared the restaurant, the butterflies started beating wildly in my chest. I was more nervous now than I had been in my entire life. My hands went to the buttons of the blouse, double checking them to make sure they were all in place. I ran my fingers of my hair again and wondered if it would look better down instead of back in a ponytail. _God, I shouldn't have worn these jeans_...

The cabbie pulled over at 1:35pm. I gave him the thirty dollar tip as I climbed out. He deserved it. I honestly hadn't thought we'd make it before at least a quarter til. He gave me a last glance that could only be described as dirty. Ok, I'm easy, but I'm not _that_ easy. I smiled smugly and shook my head 'no'. He grinned and shrugged his shoulders, then pulled away from the curb. I turned and got my first good look at the restaurant.

Holy shit. …I was definitely underdressed. It was called Iovanni's, probably named after the founder or some shit like that. …there was a doorman. Wearing a little dark blue uniform with gold trim and everything. I was way out of my league here. There was a small red carpet leading up to the little covered entrance that had the name of the restaurant embroidered on the canopy in gold stitching that matched the doorman's uniform. The windows were darkly tinted, presumably to give the customers inside privacy.

I wanted to turn tail and run. I should have realized the wife of a senator wouldn't dine at a regular old pizza parlor or anything like that. No, she would accept only the finest in dining cuisine. …The chefs here had probably never even _heard_ of ketchup. …god, I hope she didn't expect me to pay for lunch. It would probably equal my last paycheck. With a shaky determination, I stepped up to the door.

The doorman gave me a kind look and asked if he could help me. I bit back a sarcastic response and pointed inside. "I… uh… I'm supposed to meet someone here."

He looked down at my jeans and steel toed boots and then back up to my face. He obviously didn't see many patrons dressed in street clothes. But I must not have violated any dress code, because he reluctantly reached for the large brass handle on the door and pulled it open for me. I thanked him politely and smiled just a bit nervously, and walked inside. And I stopped. Yes. Definitely WAY out of my league.

If the crystal chandelier didn't give it away, then the ornately carved marble statue in the lobby, hand woven tapestries hanging on the walls, and the framed Van Gogh piece that I was sure wasn't a replication certainly did. I wish I could say that I handled it all with grace and tact. …But I can't. I stood and gaped in wonder. It was beautiful. No, more than beautiful, it was magnificent. It was a place that I had no right to be in. And apparently the sharply dressed man standing at the little mahogany podium thought so as well. His eyes were shooting me daggers already, even though I'd just walked in the door. This was going to be a pleasant experience, I could tell already.

The balding man with an ugly little mustache waited for me to speak. Apparently I wasn't worth acknowledging which _really_ pissed me off, yet I understood. I was in a different world here, one which his high-minded little brain didn't want to admit existed. I seriously considered telling him how I'd spent the last five hours in excruciating detail. But I don't think he would have appreciated that. Not to mention it probably would have gotten me arrested. I'm pretty sure some of the things Raph did to me were illegal in most states, even if he hadn't been a turtle.

Instead, I walked up to him with all the confidence I could muster, which wasn't very much, and told him I was supposed to meet someone here. The little nametag on his chest said "Clancy". He stared at me as if I'd spoken another language.

"Your name?" He asked with a little sneer on his lips. God, I wanted to kick him. I'd introduce him to Mr. Steel Toe. His crotch and my boot would have intimate knowledge of each other when I was done. But I resisted the urge, because that also, would probably get me arrested.

"Austin Bridger." I smiled politely, hoping to piss him off, but his expression changed.

"Ahh, Ms. Bridger…" Clancy looked me over again, and I swear I thought he was going to ask for proof of identification. He obviously didn't want to accept that I was actually supposed to be in the building. Instead, the little tuxedo man snapped his fingers and a fresh looking young man appeared out of practically nowhere. He turned to the new arrival and gestured in my direction. "Please show Ms. Bridger to the Ivory Room. Her party is already waiting there."

The young man gave a small bow and started to walk away. I quickly followed, not bothering to say anything more to the asshole at the podium. I was led down a richly decorated hallway, and then to an old fashioned gated elevator. The iron gates opened, and we stepped inside. I wanted to ask the young man if the guy in the lobby was always that much of an ass, but even this waiter seemed a bit too stuck up to appreciate my humor. He didn't even look at me, just stared straight ahead like some brainwashing subject. It was probably against policy to fraternize with the enemy. Because apparently that's what I was with the way I was being treated. If I hadn't been a guest of Mrs. Carmine, they probably would have thrown my denim-clad ass out the front door. The silence in the elevator eventually got to me nevertheless, and I found I couldn't stop from opening my big mouth.

"Nice place. Hey, is it true that Clancy was seen giving one of the waiters a blowjob in the kitchen?" The kid spluttered in surprise and gave me a shocked look. I shrugged nonchalantly. "Just repeating what I heard. Don't tell anyone though; I don't want to get him in trouble or anything." I congratulated myself silently. Nothing helped spread rumors around like telling someone not to tell.

The elevator doors opened and I stepped out in front of the still wide-eyed young waiter. He managed to regain his composure and guided me down the hall toward an intricately carved mahogany double door. He opened it and gestured for me to go inside, probably still trying to get the image of Clancy on his knees in front of one of his coworkers out of his head.

I hesitated. I still had time to run. But I wasn't a coward; this was nothing. I'd just go in… and… I had no idea what would happen next. I must have hesitated too long because the waiter coughed and gestured again. Nodding, I stepped through the door.

The Ivory Room didn't actually have much ivory in it. There was a white marble fire place on one side, but the rest of the walls were covered in rich dark wood bookcases filled with small busts, plants, and of course books. There were five large round tables spaced evenly around the room, all decorated with ivory tablecloths and gorgeous floral arrangements. There was only one table set for guests, and it only held two place settings, directly across from each other, the floral centerpiece having been moved to a shelf on the side wall. I stared in surprise.

Susan Carmine was not in the room. The waiter had closed the door behind me, leaving me alone with the only other occupant of the room. A man that looked to be in his late fifties was standing at one of the bookcases. He had turned from the book he was leafing through to look at me when the door had opened. With a smile that seemed more malevolent then I'd expected, he replaced the book on a shelf and stepped forward, extending his hand.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Bridger. My name is Evan Powell."

I gave him a confused look which he ignored. His dark grey suit was pristine, and I just knew it cost more money than my college education had. The bald head, wire-rimmed glasses, and slim, elegant fingers on his hand screamed 'lawyer'. And 'serial killer'. You know the type. 'He seemed like such a nice man…' Less than a minute in the same room as this man and already I knew something was wrong here. I couldn't trust this guy, that much I knew.

"Please, sit down." His mouth smiled, but I could see it didn't quite reach his eyes.

I didn't sit. "I'm sorry… but who are you?" Sometimes bluntness is the best option. He sat down and gestured to the seat across from him, and I let him win this round. I sat slowly and didn't take my eyes off him. "I thought I was going to be meeting Susan."

Powell steepled his fingers, his wrists and forearms resting on the table. I swear, I felt like I was in some suspense thriller movie. He was about to offer me the deal of my life, and if I refused I'd never be heard from again.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Carmine was unable to attend. She had… important matters to deal with at her office."

I stared at him, a sinking feeling in my stomach. So this was where I stood with her. She didn't want to see me. I was that little skeleton in her closet that she wanted kept buried. And this guy was here to do it for her. Stupid bitch didn't even have the balls to come here herself and tell me to my face that she didn't give a rat's ass about me.

"She doesn't want to meet me." I stated, a dark look coming over my face. It shouldn't have been that much of a surprise, and to be honest it wasn't. But I was disappointed, and more than a little scared. I wouldn't have her protection. I was free game for Adair then. I bet if she'd known about him, she'd probably have contacted him and told him where I was. I took that back. She'd have _this_ guy call Adair. A nice little solution to her really big problem. "Ok, fine. So what does she want?"

The slimy weasel sitting across from me smiled. He could tell I wasn't stupid.

"I'll cut to the chase then. You must understand, Ms. Bridger, that Mrs. Carmine is a very respectable person. Her husband is a prominent politician up for re-election this term, and something like this.." He waved his hand across the table, presumably to indicate my entire existence. "…could really cause some… difficulty for their family." Powell had just confirmed what I was thinking. Apparently 'family' didn't include a long-lost daughter from a life she was trying to hide.

"So she wants me to leave her alone. Fine, I've done that all my life."

"It's not as simple as that, you see. There's still the possibility that _someone_ might leak this information to the press." And of course by 'someone', he meant me.

"Well then, what do you propose?" I wanted to get out of here as fast as I could. Despite what he or my mother was afraid of, I had no intentions of dragging myself into the spotlight. The absolute last thing I wanted was my name in the papers. Even if Susan _had_ been willing to meet with me, I wouldn't have wanted press coverage of it. That's just inviting trouble.

He gazed at me for a moment, and I wondered if I was supposed to cower under his intimidating stare. If so, then he was going to be sorely disappointed.

"It seems, Ms. Bridger, that this is where the problem arises." He frowned and opened the black briefcase sitting on the table that I only just now noticed. "I've advised Mrs. Carmine against this course of action, but she seems to think it the most efficient. I have here, papers for you look at." He slid a bundle of papers across the table and I looked down at the fine print. God, I hated lawyers.

Picking the document up I glanced over it, reading what seemed to be the main highlights. There was silence in the room as I flipped through the papers, and when I finally put it down, I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Is this even legal?"

"I assure you, it is." His tone was calm and exuding honesty, but I wasn't sure I could believe him. I hadn't studied law, but that suspense thriller feeling was coming back and I looked over the papers one more time. There was no way this was legal.

"Let me see if I understand this. My mother wants to buy my silence." I waved the document at him.

"Yes. Just tell us what you want, Ms. Bridger, and we'll negotiate."

I laughed, even though nothing was funny. "You've got to be fucking with me. She'll give me anything I want, if I just sign this contract?"

"Anything within reason, yes. Mrs. Carmine wants this situation resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible." I could tell from the tone of his voice that he was highly objected to this course of action. I couldn't blame him. Susan must be desperate to hide her past if she was willing to take a drastic measure like this. "Tell me Ms. Bridger, what do you want?"

I sat, dumbstruck. That bitch. That fucking bitch. She deserved it if I ran to the press this afternoon and blabbed her story to the world. But I didn't want anything from her. She could go to hell for all I cared… except for one little piece of information that only she knew.

"Okay." I said at last, sitting up in my chair. "I'll tell you what I want. A name."

"A name?"

"My father's name. First, middle and last. And if that bitch lies to me then I'll run to the press as soon as I find out."

Powell tapped a finger on the table and gave me a calculating look. "All you want is a name?"

I thought for a moment then went for the smart-ass approach. "And twenty million dollars in my bank account by tomorrow afternoon. If that's not possible, I'll take it in small unmarked bills. …In a black briefcase, preferably delivered by a man who has it handcuffed to his wrist like in those gangster movies. And I get to keep the briefcase. My mother owns a multi-billion dollar business, I'm sure she can spare a briefcase."

If Powell appreciated my sense of humor, he didn't let it show. In fact, I'm pretty sure he had no sense of humor whatsoever. I stood up. As far as I was concerned, this meeting was over.

"Ms. Bridger, if you would plea-"

"Thank you for the wonderful lunch, Mr. Powell." Ok, so I was a bit sad that I hadn't gotten to try the fine cuisine of this restaurant, but I certainly didn't want to share a meal with this ugly bastard.

"Ms. Br-"

"I told you what I want. It's in _Mrs. Carmine's_ hands now." I didn't say goodbye, and he didn't say anything more as I stalked out of the room.

I was practically fuming by the time I reached the lobby, and it's a good thing Clancy didn't say anything to me because I probably _would_ have kicked him. He gave me another condescending look though and let me pass. He must have been afraid I'd stick around longer if he said anything to me. My only consolation was that rumors were probably already starting to spread about him throughout the kitchen staff.

I pushed the door open violently, startling the poor doorman. I didn't apologize; I wasn't in the mood for niceties. Who the hell did that bitch think she was? I should have ripped the contract up and thrown it in Powell's face. But if she did agree to my terms, and give me my father's name, then I'd sign the papers, legal or not. I don't know what I'd been hoping for, so it was hard to be disappointed at the outcome of the meeting. I at least had thought she'd meet me face to face, but I suppose it was human nature to not want to be reminded of your mistakes. And I was a pretty big mistake.

As I stalked down the street, people avoided me. This was a ritzy part of town, and I suppose I looked out of place in my ten-dollar blouse, thick black boots, and designer knock-off jeans. The pissed off expression on my face didn't help my image much either.

I finally came to a bus stop and sat down on the bench. I didn't care where the bus was going, I just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Looking down at my legs, I was surprised when a drop of rain hit them. Sun was shining all around me, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. With a start I realized it wasn't rain; I was crying. I wiped the tears away quickly and willed no more to fall. What the hell was wrong with me?

But I knew. I didn't want to admit it, but I knew. I was hurt. My mother didn't want me. The woman who fucking gave birth to me didn't want anything to do with me, and it hurt like hell. It shouldn't have, I knew. I'd spend my life avoiding silly emotions like love and compassion… and to now find out she didn't give a shit whether I was alive or laying dead in a gutter somewhere… it hurt.

I don't know how long I sat there, but when the bus pulled up, I didn't get on. I just couldn't find the strength to get up. The driver called out of the door to me, but I didn't answer; I didn't even look up. I watched the tires pull away and was alone once more.

Raphael was waiting for me at home. I didn't want to go to him. I wanted to wallow in my self-pity for a while longer. It was too early to get drunk, besides… I really needed to cut back on the alcohol intake. Devon had said as much, but it was one of those rare moments when I didn't listen to him. There was never a time when I didn't have beer in my fridge. On the other hand, who really cared if I drank myself to death? Susan sure didn't. And Devon was gone. Raph? I was just a fucktoy for him. It probably wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to say that as soon as something better came along, he'd be out of my bed and into someone else's. Can't say I'd blame him though. I'd done the same to countless guys over the years.

Yes, it was definitely a self-pitying, self-loathing kind of day. I hadn't even gotten to eat a doughnut before I'd left home. True, they'd been knocked onto the floor and stepped on, but even a squished doughnut is better than no doughnut.

So… I didn't want to go home, and I certainly didn't want to stay here. But where the hell could I go? The Café was out of the question because that was as good as going home. There was always… My thoughts trailed off as I realized what I could do to waste a few hours.

I got off the benched and flagged down the first cab I saw. I climbed into the backseat and leaned forward, giving the driver the address of a house located in a suburb about twenty minutes outside the metropolitan area.

I was going to prove Jeremy wrong. I was going to David's house.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes:** Yes, Austin likes her sex rough. For many reasons, one being that anything too sweet or emotional leads to caring, and caring leads to having to leave, and leaving means… uh… leaving. And past circumstances have shaped and molded her preferences to where what some consider harsh or severe, she finds comforting. This is why being shoved up against the wall and treated rather violently turns her on extremely quickly. But don't think she's being all sub or anything. She gives just as good as she gets. (And just to let y'all know, sooner or later there _will_ be an NC-17 version of this chapter posted to the Misadventures LJ, but I won't promise anytime soon. I'll keep y'all updated on that) 

And by the way, raise your hands if you've ever had a relationship like this? All passion and whirlwind sex, and putting your life on hold because you find the guy just so damn sexy? …oh yah. I've had that happen. You're late for _everything_ because you just can't keep your hands off each other. It usually wears off in about a month or so, when you realize there's more to relationships than… y'know… sex. ….but at least you're left with memories of damn good sex.

ahem- Anyway. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. And yes, Austin is going to go do something stupid. –sigh- I thought Jer told her to stay away from David's place? …obviously Austin had never been good at doing what other people say.

Oh, and one more thing. One of the reasons I've been taking so much time to get this chapter out, is I've re-discovered my love of making jewelry. And one of my silly little projects is to make one bracelet to represent each turtle. Three of them have already been posted to the Misadventures LJ, so go there if you want to see what _else_ I do with my spare time.

**Notes to My Reviewers:**

**Reinbeauchaser:** You're right about that little section, it was a mistake. I'd started one sentence, then another, and somewhere along the line forgot to delete it, and then missed it the two times I read through the chapter looking for errors. I hate it when that happens… oh well. This is what happens when you don't use a beta. :) -lectures all would-be writers out there- Betas are your friends!

grins- And I just love your little 'punched with a sock' line. I fell over giggling at that, because I can see Mikey doing it.

Ahh, I was wondering if anyone would notice the clothes hypocrisy. See, here's where Austin's mind starts to get difficult. She hates clothing, but due to social standards obviously has to wear them. But she figures if she's going to dress, she's going to dress to impress. She knows what looks good on her, and tight clothes get her what she wants when it comes to guys. At home though, she pretty much wanders around in her birthday suit whenever possible. (I know that might sound kind of silly, but I know people like this. They love to be naked, but at the same time love tight fitting-clothes).

Thanks for the wonderful review again!

**Buslady Of SoCal: **Oooh, there will definitely be an epilogue. Actually, I already have the epilogue written down in my head almost word for word. It hasn't changed since about… the 5th chapter of the story. I've decided to give Misadventures a definite ending that will lead into the sequel. …-shakes head sadly-. And I've already got an idea for a 3rd story, but don't know if I'm going to take it that far.

**Reluctant Dragon: **I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope this one is just as good. It took me _forever_ to write. I got stuck during the 'snuggling' scene and just couldn't seem to move the story on for a while. But once I got to the phone call from Leo, the rest of the chapter pretty much flowed.

I am having issues trying to keep the story as humorous as it started out. Sometimes I think it's getting too serious, so I hope you and my other readers are finding all the little bits that I try to stick in there.

**Isis-Lament: **-does a happy dance- I'm glad you think it's good enough to be on your favorites list! -grins like an idiot-

Hehe, most people seem to have loved that little "Well you're just… weird" line. I was so worried about that being in there. I just wasn't sure if it seemed to unrealistic to break the tension or too 'silly' or whatnot. With the response I've gotten though, I'm glad I left it in.

As for country music… well… I can see if Raph was like, this big ol' closet Garth Brooks fan or something, and tried to hide it from everyone to keep up his image. _That_ would make for a pretty funny fic in my opinion. But I agree, sometimes fans just get too determined to mold a character into what they think he should be instead of what he really is. Just my two cents on the subject. :)

**SpiderWoman-DonnysNinjaGurl: **Thanks for the review:) I'm always happy to hear from new reviewers. Hopefully you liked this chapter as well! And I agree, Don is very awesome. Hopefully he'll come back into the story soon. I've neglected him and Mikey lately.

**The REAL Cheese Monkey: **Now you know what Raph was gonna do to Austin-in-a-towel. Hehehehehe. If you ask me, she didn't mind all that much…

**Trillian4210:** -giggles and turns up the 70's porno music as well- You have no idea how hard it was for me to write this chapter. I had issues trying to determine how far I could take it without being overly graphic. Hopefully I pulled it off ok. –crosses fingers- I guess I'll find out.

And thanks for the compliments on my writing. I don't know if it's just my perception or not, but I'm finding that it's easier to work on the chapters the further I go. I think the first 4 or 5 chapters weren't as confidently written as these later ones. I think I'm finally getting a 'feel' for the story if you know what I mean, and it's so much easier to write. I'm definitely going to look into some classes though next term. :)

**FairDrea: **-grin- I hate that feeling, when I REALLY get into a fic and basically put my life on hold until I can find out what happens. …of course, usually I'm putting Misadventures on hold because I've found a fic that captivates me. And then my reviewers aren't happy when it takes longer for chapters. Oh well. :)

Yay for stalkers, by the way. Hehehe.

**danceingfae:** Oooh, a fellow west-coaster! I'm glad you decided to read my story and review! Hopefully you'll think the future chapters are just as good! Ironically, this story was originally meant as a little 4-chapter piece. …And now it's turning in a frickin' novel. I don't know how this happened! ….uh.. so anyway. Thanks for reviewing!

**Echo: **(I didn't want to repost your whole e-mail addy here, just in case so I shortened it. Hope you don't mind.) Oooh, thanks for the awesome review! I really appreciate it! A lot of my time at work is spent brainstorming, so I've built this huge background on Austin, and only brief glimpses of it are being shown in the story. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering what I've written down, and what's in my head, and how much the readers know already and what-not. It's very complicated, and it just gets more so with each chapter. But I'm still having fun with it, and hopefully the readers are as well!

And if I could make Raph real? Mmmmmm. I wouldn't keep him for myself either. No, I'd charge admission to my bedroom! Five bucks an hour or something. I'd make a killing even at THAT low price. –grins-

**kaya lizzie: **-giggles and dodges the broom-

I hope this chapter was to your satisfaction. I know it was to mine… -thinks happy thoughts- Hah! Now that the smutty scene is out of the way I can get back to what this story is REALLY about. Plot. …or something… I don't know. More smut might be a good idea… Smut smut smut. …uh…. What was I saying? ….oh well. SMUT!

**Mikaela's Spade: **My muse is very naughty, as you can tell from this chapter. She _made_ me write it, I swear. I didn't want to, but she forced me to! Hehehe. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	16. The Prophecy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin is mine. Mine mine mine mine mine.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **I honestly have to say, that reading all your guy's reviews is the best part about writing this story, and not just because it's an ego boost. The real reason? I _LOVE_ hearing you talk about the story and what you think might happen, and I just sit here giggling like mad because I know you're either right, or way off base. But _I'm_ the only one who knows for sure. ….It's almost as if I have this god-like power to give you much happiness and joy, and then rip it all away in a moment of tragedy! MUAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! -ahem- Anyway. I would _never_ do anything like that. Ever. …no really. …Stop looking at me like that. –hides-

_FunFact:_We all have those nervous habits that we do that help comfort us. Some of you may have noticed this one already, but Austin's is the pillow clutching. In times of stress, a pillow in the lap helps considerably. Or a stuffed animal. But she doesn't have many stuffed animals. Sad, really.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 15**

_Italics _areAustin's thoughts or flashback. Or emphasis on a spoken word.

* * *

The house was light blue with navy trim. Not especially attractive, but it was in a nice neighborhood away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a bit too 'homey' for me though. I'd never liked places that reminded me of family… or responsibility… or anything like that. David loved it though. It was the home he'd never had growing up and I didn't blame him for that at all. It even had a white picket fence around the front yard. 

As I stepped out of the taxi, I squinted at the house in the bright sunshine. It didn't _look_ trashed. But then, if it had been, David's roommate had probably cleaned up already. I'd only met Steph once, but she seemed nice enough. She was very accepting of the whole blood-drinking-prophesying demon thing. But then, she was also a lesbian Neo-Pagan who had "I like girls!" tattooed on her arm. Steph was a very open kind of person. I'm still not quite sure _how_ she found out what David was, but as long as she could keep a secret, I really didn't care.

I paid the cabby, and then asked him to wait a few moments. I didn't intend on staying too long if David wasn't home; I knew I shouldn't be here. This was one of the worst ideas in the long sad history of bad ideas… providing that Jeremy was right. Which I still didn't think he was. I had to know for sure though, and as I walked up the driveway I had the brilliant realization that I could probably have just called instead, and saved myself the trip and the cab fare. Too late now though, I supposed. Besides, I didn't want to be at home, and the drive to David's _was_ a nice scenic trip.

The front door was pulled open before I ever had a chance to knock. Steph must have seen me pull up, because she answered the door with a somewhat confused look on her face. It was that expression people make when they're trying to place your face and don't want to be rude and just ask outright 'Who are you?'. She was wearing a white tank top and a pair of camouflage pants with military regulation boots. Her short cropped black hair was freshly gelled and sticking up in little spikes, which I thought she pulled off amazingly well. Had I been a lesbian, I would have been totally into her.

"Hey, Steph." I smiled politely. Her eyes studied my face, flicking up to the stitches on my forehead and then down my body, and back up to my face. I just knew she was mentally undressing me to see if she could figure out who I was. I waited a moment, and was just about to introduce myself when she figured it out on her own.

"Oh my god, Austin! Holy shit, girl!" Her face broke out in a grin and I could see the little yellow smiley ball barbell that was sticking out of her tongue. "How's David! Is he doing ok?"

I blinked. "Um… that's what I came to find out."

The smile died on her face and she gave me a quizzical look. "But didn't he tell you where he was going?"

"Wait… so… he's not here?"

"…He's supposed to be with you."

"Why the hell would he be with me?" I asked incredulously. One of us was definitely confused, and I wasn't entirely sure that it wasn't me. "This is his house."

"Yah but…" Steph bit her lip and frowned. "I don't get it… he told me he was going to see you before he left town."

"When, today?"

"No… it was a week ago. The day before the break in."

I felt the first tangles of dread start to seep into my stomach, twisting and turning and making me feel rather sick. "So your place _was_ trashed…"

"Well, yah. But its ok, they didn't get the prophecies."

If I hadn't already been looking at her, I'm sure I would have jerked my head up in surprise. "Prophecies? Wait, wait, and wait. _WHAT_ prophecies?"

She paused hesitantly, and I could see she didn't want to say whatever it was she was thinking. "David… didn't tell you, did he?"

"Tell me what? What the fuck is going on here, Steph?"

"Maybe you should come inside, Austin... This isn't really something we should talk about on the front porch." I stared at her and then back to the taxi on the street. I didn't really want to go inside if this conversation was heading where I thought it was heading. "Please, Austin. If David didn't make it to your place… Oh god…" Her voice turned shaky as she finally realized what I'd been trying not to believe myself. David was missing. And neither of us had any clue where he was.

Against my better judgment, I waved the cab on. There was a bus stop nearby and I could catch a ride back into the city as long as I didn't stay too long. As I watched the yellow car drive away, I wanted to run after it and hop inside before it was too late, but I couldn't. I couldn't do that when it was something this important. Reluctantly, I followed Steph into the house, feeling tenser with every step. Jeremy would kick my ass if he knew I was here. So would Raph for that matter. Best I didn't tell either of them about this little side trip of mine.

My boots made very little sound on the hardwood floor and the house itself was eerily silent. I could practically feel the energies here, and it wasn't a pleasant sentiment. I don't know how Steph could stand it. Maybe all my time spent with the unnatural made me more sensitive to it; I don't know. But Steph was either used to it, or didn't notice it all; I hoped it wasn't the former.

We stepped into the living room and I sat down on a comfy blue and white striped couch. It wasn't the more attractive couch, but at the moment I could really care less. Steph sat down at the opposite end and nervously cracked her knuckles, one at a time. I couldn't hold back any longer, I had to know what was going on.

"What prophecies, Steph?"

She stared down at the couch, and if I hadn't known better, I almost would have thought she looked ashamed.

"I didn't know he hadn't told you… he talks about you so often, I just thought… I mean… you guys practically grew up together…"

"Steph…" The warning in my voice couldn't be missed.

"He's been prophesying, Austin. He started it up almost a year ago, by choice. I tried to get him to stop, but… he got this crazy idea that he might be able to use it to his advantage. That he might be able to control it."

"Why the hell would he do a stupid thing like that? Doesn't he remember what it used to be like? God, he wouldn't even _speak_ for an entire year after we left the Institute! What the hell does he think he's going to do, prevent the apocalypse?"

She shook her head and stared at a spot somewhere over my shoulder. "I know, I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn't listen. But… he was right, Austin. He learned to control it… somewhat."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "How?" There was no point arguing what was done, so now I just had to find out as much as possible. I was still pissed as hell though. If I ever found David alive, I was going to kill him.

"He started with animal blood. He thought it might have a… weaker effect. And it did."

"…he killed animals?" I blanched. This wasn't the David I knew.

"No, no, no." She corrected quickly. "He bought blood from the butcher." I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't want to think of David killing and draining the blood of cute furry little animals.

"So… what happened?"

"The visions started out small; little things. He realized it was a ratio thing. The more blood, the stronger and longer the visions lasted. Sometimes he saw images, sometimes he heard words… Most of it we didn't understand, but we recorded everything and kept it locked away. After a while, with concentration, he could _guide_ the visions… Make himself predict specific events relating to certain people. Even then, though, it was hard to tell what they meant. It was all very cryptic."

"You _helped_ him with this?"

"Well, I certainly didn't want him to do it alone! He might have gone too far! At least I could monitor him and make sure he wasn't hurting himself or something!" Steph had a point. David had always been stubborn, and he would have done it with or without her help.

"So what does this have to do with someone breaking in? And why was David coming to see me?"

She bit her lip in a way that made me nervous and just a little scared. "Everything was going fine up until a week and a half ago. David started getting paranoid; said he thought someone was following him."

At those words the knot in my stomach tightened considerably, and I might have doubled over if I hadn't already been clutching one of the throw pillows that had found its way into my arms. I was willing to be that 'someone' was related to Adair somehow.

"Did he say who it was?" I asked warily.

"No... but it finally got to him last Tuesday night. He was going to do one last prophecy for now, and then leave town. I think he might have been heading back to California… but he never told me specifically."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Wednesday morning. He left here around six… but god, Austin. He was really shaken up. I mean… he was desperate to get a hold of you. I don't know exactly what he saw during that last vision, but it was a strong one. He…" She sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't know if I should be telling you this."

"Too late for that now, isn't it?"

She nodded, but didn't look at me. Taking a deep breath, she finally continued. "He cut his wrist and drained his own blood to drink." My mouth dropped open in shock, and I forgot to breath for a few moments. "If I'd have known he was going to do that, I would have stopped him, but he did it without me. He told me later he figured it either wouldn't affect him since it was own blood, or it would be more powerful because of it… God, I'm sorry Austin. He seemed to think it was really important, and I didn't know what was going on until I heard the voices from his room."

"Voices?" I asked, my voice quaking more than just a little. She flinched and nodded but didn't continue, so I finally did instead, deciding I didn't want to know where the 'voices' came from. "What was the prophecy, Steph? Why was it so important?"

"He… he was worried about you. I don't know if you knew, Austin… but David always had a bit of a crush on you… he was freaked that they might be after you too. So he wanted to make sure you were going to be okay…"

I decided to let that admission slip by me. I didn't want to know about David's little crush. He'd been like a brother to me. Besides… it was becoming readily apparent to me that my karmic destiny was to have guys fall for me when I couldn't return the feelings. Besides, the important thing here was that David saw something in his visions that concerned me, and it was starting to freak me out a little. I wanted to get up and walk out the door before Steph could tell me what it was David saw. But… I had to know, on the other hand. This wasn't something you could just walk away from and not regret it the rest of your life.

I took a deep breathe and looked at Steph's miserable expression. "What was the prophecy?"

She stood up slowly. "It wasn't in English… so David interpreted it before he left, and gave me a copy. The other one he was taking to you. I hid it with the others under a floorboard in the closet. Give me a minute, and I'll be right back."

As Steph left the room, I pondered what she meant by 'it wasn't in English'. As far as I was aware, David didn't _know_ any other languages. A small voice in the back of my mind reminded me that he was half-demon, so maybe… maybe there was some sort of demon-language that only they could understand. The thought gave me the chills, and I was painfully aware again of how silent the house seemed.

The other thing that was bugging me was the prophecy itself. It couldn't be good. If it had been a nice happy little vision of me dancing down the street, hand in hand with the love of my life and singing a merry little tune, then David wouldn't have been rushing to see me. …Even if, and this is a _big_ 'if', the love of my life was a giant turtle. Even _that_ wouldn't have caused David so much distress. So the only other option left was that something terrible was going to happen to me, and I was scared shitless to find out what it was.

All too soon, Steph returned with a blue 3x5 index card. I stared at it in a bit of dismay. My future was written on an index card? It looked liked one of those recipe cards that my mother… no, my grandmother, used to have in her kitchen. I could just imagine what was written on it. 'In five days time Austin Bridger shall die a horrible death. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease pan lightly.' Man… that was _really_ depressing.

I took a deep breath and reached out for the card. Steph reluctantly handed it to me and I stared at the small neat letters written there. My eyes read the words at least ten times before I looked up.

"…what the hell is this supposed to mean?"

She sighed. "Well, if you don't know, then I certainly don't. I told you, his visions are vague sometimes. This is only what he said, I don't know what he actually _saw_."

Vague didn't even begin to describe it. Whatever supernatural beings provided David with this little gem of a prophecy must like to fuck with symbolism to the point where the message is lost. I read the words again, out loud this time to see if it would change the meaning.

"When the Sifter deceives the one she loves, her life is for the taking. She will join the Path, and cry for the second, while thinking of the first." The words held meaning for me. …But damned if I knew what that meaning was. Was I the Sifter? Was I a freakin' baking utensil? I guess it made sense, the prophecy _was_ written on a recipe card. It made my head hurt to think about.

"This is retarded." I stated bluntly.

"It's not retarded, it's just cryptic." Steph felt the need to correct me.

"No, it's retarded." I waved the card around. "This makes no sense whatsoever, and without David to interpret it, how the hell am I supposed to know what it means? Sifter? Path. Second. First? What kind of stupid prophecy is that? It's like a boring game of Mad Libs or something."

"If David were here-"

"Well, he's _not_." I interrupted. "He obviously never made it to my place, which means someone got him. Fuck!" I fell back against the cushions, emotionally drained for what seemed like the millionth time this week. When my life went to hell, it REALLY went to hell. Screw the handbasket, I was on a one way express elevator falling fast. Jeremy was right. I was wrong. What else was new?

"Well, we have to find him."

I let out a sharp bitter laugh. "Find him? We're not going to find him, Steph. He's gone. Lucas is gone, and I'm probably next." Only this time I knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill me as soon as I proved invaluable. Call it a gut feeling. And as much as I hated my life at the moment, I didn't really want to be dead. There were so many things to live for… like chocolate… and sex with Raph… and cute puppies… and sex with Raph… and skinnydipping… and sex with Raph. Okay, yes, my mind was one-tracked sometimes, but it was a good track to be on.

"So what can we do?" There was a desperate tone in her voice that didn't really suit the butch look she tried so hard to keep up.

Standing up, I folded the card and stuck it in my pocket, not bothering to ask if she wanted it back. Dammit, it was my prophecy and I was going to keep it. "Well… I don't know about you, but I'm planning on going back to the city and getting shit-faced. You're welcome to join me."

"You're going to drink? At a time like this?"

"This is the perfect time to drink."

"But David…"

"He's gone. Face it, Steph, he's probably not coming back."

"How can you be so fucking heartless, Austin?"

"Years of practice. But what the hell do you want me to do, go door to door looking for him? Maybe put up posters saying 'have you seen this demon?'?" Yah, that'd go over well.

Besides. The guys who grabbed him were most likely professionals. There was absolutely nothing I could do to try and find him. Except… oh, there's an idea…

Steph interrupted my thought. "He's your _friend_, Austin. You can't just do nothing!"

I sighed and took a step towards the hall leading to the front door. "I'll talk to… some acquaintances of mine. …If anyone has even a chance of finding David, it'd be them."

"Who?"

"You don't know them."

She gave me a doubtful look. "Can you trust them?"

"Well, I'm sleeping with one of them." The look she gave me clearly said that David had told her about my rather sordid history of bedmates. I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Yes, I can trust them. If there's anybody in the world I can trust, it'd be them."

Steph didn't like the idea I could tell, but she knew there was nothing else that could be done, even if she wouldn't admit it. "Do you think they'll find him?"

"Probably not." Okay, so I'm not the best person to go to when you want to be cheered up. But considering my past, I think it's only fair that I'm allowed a negative outlook on life. "Look, Steph. I'll do what I'll can, and I'll stay in touch, ok? One way or another, we'll find him." I didn't tell her that the 'or another' way would probably end up with me being drugged and forcibly taken to wherever David was. That's the kind of thing you just don't tell people who are already depressed.

My words must have cheered her up somewhat because she asked if she could get me something to drink; I declined. I didn't want a reason to hang around; I'd already lingered too long. Politely excusing myself and thanking her for the information, I finally made it out the front door and into the bright late August sunshine. I gave the happy picket fence a dirty look before making my way to the bus stop. With any luck, there would be another one coming soon. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to walk to the bus stop alone, seeing as how it was almost seven blocks, but I made it there without incident.

Luck, apparently, was on my side today because no less than five minutes after I sat down, a city bus pulled up. I paid my fare, and found an empty seat near the back where I could rest quietly and be left alone to my own thoughts.

Thoughts are dangerous things. Dwelling on them is even more hazardous. I pulled the prophecy out again and read it a couple times. Even though I didn't know what it meant, it still chilled me inside. The Sifter… what the hell was a Sifter? Maybe Susan was the Sifter? What she did to me could be considered deceit, I suppose. Did that mean her life was in danger, and David had thought I could do something about it? …unlikely. I really didn't care if Susan lived or died right now. What happened to her was her business, not mine.

I sighed and placed the card back in my pocket, trying not to think about it. Unless I found David, there was no point in trying to decipher the meaning. I turned my thoughts instead, to what I would do when I got back to the City. It was close to 4:30 now, but I still didn't want to go home. I really should call Raph and tell him I'm ok and make sure he isn't throwing a shit-fit. But I'm a big girl, and if he can't deal with it, too bad for him. Just because we had sex doesn't mean he owns me. And if he thinks he does, it's going to be a brutal reality check when he realizes the truth.

It was harsh of me, but I didn't want to owe him anything. We weren't 'together'. We weren't in a committed relationship. We'd never said 'I love you', or exchanged promises to be exclusive. I had every right to go find a cute guy at a bar somewhere and let him take me home. An image flashed in my mind of Raph doing to same with some skinny tramp and a wave of jealously swept through me. The hypocrisy of my thoughts was plainly evident and I wondered when it was that I'd developed feelings for Raphael that went deeper than just the one-night stands I was used to.

I wondered if it had to do with Devon. Without him around to latch onto, maybe I'd clung to Raph more than I should have. I sighed and looked out the window as the bus passed street after street, and we grew closer to the city. I shouldn't have gotten involved with Raph; that was a poor decision. Especially if Adair really was coming after me. God… the last thing I wanted to do was lead him to the turtles. If I was smart, I'd go home right now and spell it out for Raphael in plain English. We couldn't be together… at all… ever. He should go back to his home and forget about me, and I'd go on with my life and forget about him. If I was smart… and had the will power, I'd do that.

But it wouldn't work that way. I'd walk in the door and tell him we needed to talk… and he'd take me in his arms and I'd forget whatever it was I'd wanted to say. He'd have me in bed within a few moments, and I'd cry his name, and then fall asleep next to him. Wake up, repeat. That was why I couldn't go home. I didn't want to watch myself give in again, when every moment he was with me put him in danger.

And that was what it boiled down to, I realized. I was worried about him. I wanted to push him away so I wouldn't _have_ to worry about him. I whimpered softly to myself and leaned back on the hard plastic of the seat. I wish I could just let it all go; let what happens, happen. Live for the moment, and all that shit. But I was so confused and worried; frightened of so many different things I couldn't think straight.

I watched the scenery pass, trying not to think of anything at all and succeeding fairly well at it.

Upon reaching the city, I changed busses twice, until I was finally within a mile of my apartment. Of the options open to me, I chose the most appealing. I chose the bar.

* * *

I was fairly tipsy by the time I stumbled out of the cab and onto the sidewalk in front of the locked iron gate of my building. Not taking any chances this time, I'd used a cab to get home, even though it was less than five blocks. Jumping down into sewers just wasn't on my list of activities to do tonight, even if the last time I'd done it had led to the best sex of my life. I giggled at the thought as I paid the driver and fumbled for the keys in my back pocket. It was dark, almost nine in the evening. 

_Raphael is gonna be pissed…_ I giggled again even as I tried to unlock the gate.

"Austin!" I looked up expecting to see Devon floating nearby, but there was no evidence of the shimmering ghost to be found. The hushed voice said my name again and I realized it was coming from the alley to the left of the building, less than five feet away from me.

Stupid things Austin shouldn't do after drinking would probably include laughing and stumbling into the dark alley despite not knowing who it was that was calling me. I did it anyway. Lucky for me, it was Donatello. And Mikey. I grinned like a lunatic and waved. "Hey guys!" I stage whispered. "Great to see you!" My toe caught on something and I pitched forward, somehow managing to fall into Don's arms.

"Geez, are you alright?" He asked, helping me stand upright.

"Depends on what you mean by alright." Don let go of me and I leaned against the brick wall of my building, still grinning like mad.

"Have you been drinking, Austin?"

I nodded and pointed out to the street. "Don't worry, I took a cab."

He hesitated and I wondered if he was going to lecture me on the evils of alcohol. I really didn't need that lecture, I'd heard it before.

"It's ok, I didn't have _that_ much." It finally occurred to me that they were standing outside _my_ building. "Hey… whatcha guys doing here?"

"Oh, um… we came to get Raph."

Mikey broke in with a sheepish smile. "Yah, I wouldn't go up there yet if I were you, Austin. They're probably still yelling at each other."

It took me a few moments to figure out who the other half of "them" was.

"Ooooh… Leo?"

"Yah… he's been up there for about fifteen minutes now."

Still giggling, I pulled out the little blue index card. "Yah, well, they better not destroy any of my stuff, otherwise I'll Sift their asses." I snorted and laughed harder, waving the card around. Mikey and Don exchanged confused glances and I sighed in mock frustration.

"Hellooooo, I'm a Sifter, thus says the prophecy!"

"Um, Austin… I'm only saying this out of concern for your well being… maybe you should go a bit lighter on the alcohol."

"Oh, Pthhhhbt." I stuck my tongue out at Don and tucked the card away. "You'd drink too if you'd been through what I have." When I'd said that, I'd meant the day's events, but a sympathetic, sad look crossed over Donatello's face, and even in my not-quite-sober state, I could tell that he knew more about me than I was comfortable with.

There was an uneasy silence which Mikey finally broke. "So, uh… are you and Raph… I mean… did you and he…?"

The pleased look on my face must have said everything because Mikey sighed heavily and didn't bother finishing the question.

"Hey, it's alright, Mikey." I leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "I've got a couple cute coworkers you should meet sometime."

He perked up instantly. "Whoa, really? How cute?"

I grinned. "I'd do 'em. If y'know... I was into girls. I'm sure we can find one for Don too!" I leaned over and gave Donatello a kiss on the cheek. Hey, I'm affectionate when I've been drinking. "We'll find you a cute girl too. Or even a cute boy if you want!"

The horrified look on his face was priceless and it set me giggling again. He probably would have made some sort of denial, but at the same moment there was a shout from the other end of the alley.

"Christ, Austin, where the _fuck_ have you been!" Raphael moved so fast I barely had time to make a sound before he was standing in front of me, his hands gripping my shoulders. He looked so worried, I almost felt bad for not calling. Now that he was standing in front of me, all my thoughts from earlier came back. I didn't want him hurt; sooner or later he would be though, either by me, or because of me. Another movement caught my eye and I could see Leo walking up behind Raph.

"Austin? Are you ok?"

_Why no, Leo. I'm actually not ok. My dead brother's ghost got pissed off at me and disappeared, my mother has decided she wants to buy my silence then disown me, and the psycho who locked me up and tortured me as a child has decided to take up his old habits. But at least your brother is a good fuck. Too bad he'll be captured and dissected if he keeps hanging around with me._ That's what I thought. "Yah, I'm fine…" That's what I said.

"What happened, Austin? Where the hell have you been all night?"

"I just…" my voice faded as I tried to think of what to say. I didn't want to tell him about David's house, and I didn't want to tell him about Susan. Unfortunately for me, I was starting to sober up and it was depressing. "I needed time alone…"

Leonardo cleared his throat softly and nodded to me then spoke to his brother. "Raph… we'll wait for you." Raphael looked over with an impatient look, but whatever had been said to him in my apartment must have been important enough for him to actually listen to, because he nodded and turned back to face me. I didn't know where they were going to wait for him at, but the three brothers disappeared so quickly I didn't even have time to say goodbye. I was left alone in the alley with Raph.

"I'm sorry… I should have called."

"Yah." He let go of my shoulder and ran his thumb over my cheek. He was still pissed though, I could see it in his face.

"But," I stated bluntly, adding fuel to the fire, "I'm a big girl, and you don't need to worry about me. I was fine."

His face darkened considerably. "Fine enough to go out drinkin', and not bother to tell me?"

"I don't need your permission, Raphael. I can handle myself."

"You told me you'd be home soon. You know what time it is, Austin? Nine. _Eight fucking hours_ later you come home drunk and think it's ok!"

I pulled away, glaring into the darkness at him. "I'm not drunk… tipsy maybe. But yes, I had a few drinks and came home. _My _home, by the way, not yours. I never asked you to stay last night, and I certainly didn't ask you to wait for me all day." A flicker of surprise crossed his face, and I had no clue what I'd said that would have come as a shock. It was quickly replaced by anger.

"That's bullshit, Austin."

I raised an eyebrow. "It is? I don't ever recall asking you to stay the night with me."

"Oh, so that was someone else I carried into your bedroom. Someone _else_ grabbed my hand and said she was scared of bein' alone. Someone _else_ begged me not to leave."

I stared blankly at him. He was lying… I wouldn't have done that. I've _never_ asked a guy to stay the night with me because I was _scared_ of being alone. Ever. My mind raced back to the night before. Everything was still fuzzy, but I could make out fragmented images. He carried me to bed… tucked me in… and I grabbed his hand… _No. No, it isn't possible. I didn't do that._

Shaking my head in denial, I looked away from his shadowy face. "You're… you're making that up."

"The fuck I am. You know it's true." Raphael's eyes flashed and he reached out for me. Before I could stop him, I found his arms around me, and his mouth pressing harshly against mine. I whimpered and pushed at his plastron, trying to escape. I didn't want it, not like this. I was too confused right now… nothing made sense.

I didn't know what was going on. He was treating me like… god… like he cared. Like I was something more than just the flavor of the month. I didn't want him to. I wanted him to treat me like I've treated all the other guys that came and went. Life would be so much easier for me if I didn't get too deeply involved. But Raphael was making that almost impossible for me and as much as I hated to admit it, I liked how he made me feel. He could protect me, he'd said as much. But at what cost? If he was captured while guarding me, then I'd lose him. If I pushed him away now, we'd both be hurt, but at least I knew he'd be safe. The thought terrified me; being alone again wasn't what I wanted. It was the only option though.

When he finally pulled his mouth from mine, there were tears flowing down my cheeks and I had my eyes closed, refusing to look at him. "Stop… please stop…"

He pulled me closer, despite my pleas. "Don't, Austin. You can't shut everyone out."

"Raph, please just go…" I was rigid in his arms, refusing to give in. "I can't do this… not now."

"Yes, you can."

I struggled harder and he finally let me go. "No… I can't." My voice grew in strength and determination and I looked up into his eyes. The emotion I saw there made me hate myself. We'd seen something in each other, that was undeniable, and I was throwing it away. I thought of this morning when I was curled up next to him in bed and knew it had been a long time since I'd been that happy. …the last time I was that happy, I'd thrown it away as well.

"Austin… don't do this to yourself." The words caught me by surprise. Reaching up, he touched my face again. "You've had a fucked up life, baby, but that don't mean you can't be happy. I told you before… you're too much like me." The corner of his mouth raised slightly in an almost amused expression. "You think you can go it by yourself, don'tcha? It's a hard, lonely road, baby… I've been there."

"Raph, please…"

He smirked and tugged lightly on a curl that had fallen loose from my ponytail. "I'll give you time, Austin. But I'll be back soon. I'm not lettin' you go without a fight. You'll fall for me before this is over."

I opened my mouth to object, but found I didn't know what to say. This was not the way I'd wanted the conversation to end. He was supposed to storm off in a rage and never talk to me again. Instead he leaned in and kissed me again before I could stop him, then turned and quickly dissolved into the shadows. I'd already given him my body, what more did he want from me? But I didn't need to ask; I knew the answer. He wanted all of me. Heart, body, soul, mind… what I'd thought was going to just be a simple fuck had turned into struggle for my entire being. Raph played for keeps, I was finding out too late.

I don't know how long I stared into the darkness until I realized that I was cold and alone in a dark alley. Moving numbly, I managed to unlock the gate and get inside the warm brick building. Letting myself in the apartment, I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter. The door to my bedroom stood open and through it the tangled sheets of the bed were visible. Despite it having been eight hours later, I swear I could still smell the scent of sex throughout the apartment.

I didn't want to sleep in the bed tonight… it held memories that were too fresh, so I curled up on the couch with a blanket instead. Sleep didn't come easy to me, and when it finally did, I dreamt of Raphael.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes: **I think I've stated before, but this is indeed a more mature Raph. …ok, _slightly_ more mature. I like to think that he and Leo have fought out some of their differences, and he's not quite as rebellious as he used to be. They have a sort of understanding, although now that Splinter is away, Raph's testing his bounds a bit. Anyway. I hope Raph didn't come off as too mushy towards the end of the chapter. I was trying my best to not make it all gag-reflex-y. 

And in my opinion this chapter was… sub-par. But I've read over and edited it so many times, I'm sick of doing it, and I don't want to re-write the entire thing. So anyway, I hope it all made sense, and that you all could follow along with what was happening. BTW, the end of the story is coming up soon. …Of course, by 'soon', I mean like… 5 or 6 chapters. Unless something happens, and I need to expand on some things. Otherwise, Misadventures will end, and in a week or two after that, the sequel will be started. Tentatively titled "Further Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable", because I am an uncreative person.

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Sassyblondexoxo : **I'm glad you liked the chapter:) The whole 'making love' paragraph was actually inspired by something my roomate's boyfriend said while were were all out having dinner. "There's no such thing as 'making love'. It's called 'Fuck and Cuddle'." I loved it so much, I had to add it in somewhere. I do believe the sentiment though. BTW, I think it's hilarious that they're moving on 'at a good pace' as you put it… considering they've known each other for… what, four days now? Possibly five, I need to go back and check. Hehehe. Anyway, I just see their relationship as one that would happen extremely fast, seeing as how they're both so…aggressive.

**Buslady Of SoCal:** The alternate version will probably be a week or two coming out. :) I have a _lot_ of stuff on my plate right now, and it's sort of a toss up between working on this story, or working on smutty sex scenes for this story. You wouldn't think that would be a tough decision… but I just want to keep moving Misadventures along…. –sigh- Oh well.

Anyway, Austin's thought processes are pretty screwed up right now, as this chapter can attest to. She's so used to treating guys like fucktoys, that it's hard for her to accept that someone might actually want to get to know her. Plus she's depressed, and that rarely helps anyone think the most positive thoughts. Poor Austin. :(

**Reluctant Dragon**: True story about the girl named September. I agree, I'm so amused by what some people name their kids. I once worked with this girl named Deja Sue. …talk about terrible puns… we were always teasing her… 'Haven't we met you before, Deja?"

**The REAL Cheese Monkey: **Yes, Austin's never been very good at doing what other people think she should do. Although everything ended up turning out all right! …or did it? -mysterious music in the background-

**kaya lizzie:** Oh, I'm pretty sure neither of them would have minded. Hell, I'm surprised Leo didn't come out of his room that morning to find them eagerly going at it on the couch in the lair.

Hehe, and apparently I had fun writing asshole characters in the chapter. Clancy… the lawyer… man, the lawyer pissed me off. I felt slimy just writing him. Uhg.

**Isis-Lament:** -giggles- I always get such a kick out of your reviews. :) I don't even know where to start replying. I'll start by saying.. um… I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope this one wasn't too much of a let-down or anything. I know not all that much happened in it, but what did happen was fairly important, plotwise.

Austin was being quite stupid by going to David's house, yes, but she's in sort of an emotional roller coaster right now. Ups and downs, and loop-d-loops.

Poor girl is just having issues dealing with the emotional after-effects of wild passionate sex with a mutant turtle. What are these 'feelings' that are popping up? Ack! Love? No! Hehehe. Anyway, that was definitely a fun part to write last chapter. I think most people appreciated the amount of description and such. You knew what was happening, but it wasn't graphic. –g- I think sooner or later, there may have to be another one in here somewhere. Just cause it's my story, and I can.

**FairDrea:** Yes, Susan was quite the bitch, wasn't she? But she has her reasons, and sooner or later (later most likely), Austin and you the readers, will learn of them!

And, I think that sex scene is going to go down in infamy. At least… among my readers. Most of the reviews I've gotten, they seem to have appreciated it. Hopefully it will spawn an entire generation of rough & rowdy sex fics! …ok, so maybe that's just hopeful wishing on my part.

Anyway, thankyou so much for the review, and I apologize if this chapter wasn't quite up to par. It took a bit of a detour that I was having trouble dealing with, but I think it finally worked out ok. We'll see. :P If I lose all my reviewers after this, I'll know I did something wrong.

**Trillian4210:** I moved the rating up to M last chapter, so it might have done something to where the fic was placed on Maybe, I'm not quite sure. Everything seems to be in working order now though.

Anyway. HAH! You think driving to work is tough, try going to _sleep_ after writing something like that. …and I'm single. I've got no boytoy to go jump. Pooey.

Yah. I love to point out that Raph's not human. I mean… I wouldn't like him nearly so much if he was… :)

Ok, and I'm tired and about to head to bed, and I can't think of much else to say. Been working on the chapter all night long. Hope you liked it!


	17. Breakdown

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin is mine. Mine mine mine mine mine.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **And thus begins a new element in the Misadventures journey… Dream sequence! Just so you're aware ahead of time, the dream is 1st person, present tense, rather than past like the rest of the story. I'm just trying a little something different. If you find it disjointed, it was written that way on purpose. Dreams are funny things. And here's a shout-out to **Isis-Lament** for being a wonderfully awesome person who has given me permission to bug her as much as I want for story advice, plot problems, and just general bitching/moaning/complaining. Muahahahaah! You shall never be rid of me now…

* * *

_**Warning!**:_ Now that I have your attention. This chapter contains some disturbing subject matter that may offend more sensitive readers. The story however, is rated M at this point, so please don't expect me to pull any punches.

* * *

_FunFact: _Bill Bridger is dead in the present time. …not many people attended his funeral. 

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 16**

_Italics _are dream sequence! Yay! Or Austin's thoughts/emphasis/blah blah blah. All the usual stuff.

* * *

_Looking around, I can see white walls. Endless white walls, white walls... No. Not endless. I can see them now... small dark creases that bend and stretch, until finally they resolve themselves into corners. I blink and the room comes into focus. I know this room; I've been here before. What is this place? _

_Droplets of water hit my body and I raise my face to the downpour. I'm in a shower… a shower in the middle of the room? No, it's the corner now. White tiles and white caulk against a white wall. The showerhead is silver… the drain is silver too. Silver and white… the only two colors in the room. There's no doors on the shower… that's odd. Who would build a shower with no doors? It doesn't matter though; the water feels good. It's cool and soft against the burns on my skin. _

_Burns? What burns? Where did I get burns? I look down and see the small circular marks, standing out bright red on my flesh. Red like Raph. …who's Raph? Raphael… the archangel? The burns are as red as the eyes of the angel. Yes… yes that's right. _

_I'm young. I'm 11. I don't know how I know… I just know. Like the angel. I know the angel, and I know I'm 11. But I haven't met the angel yet; the red angel who'll keep me safe. He hasn't come yet. But he will, someday. _

_For now, I'm 11. I'm 11, and I'm in a white room, with a white shower. My name isn't important. My name is Austin, but it's not important. I'm sure it's Austin. Is it important? I don't know. I'm a Sifter. The snake thinks I'm a psychic, but I'm really a Sifter. He doesn't know the truth. I don't know the truth. I don't know what I am, so my name must not be important after all. _

_The snake… the snake with glasses who smiles, and holds his clipboard…Someday he'll find out I'm a Sifter, and he'll know what I am. But I still won't know._

_David knows. The demon knows. He knows I'm a Sifter, and he won't tell me until he finds out. But he's not here yet. He won't be here for a couple more days, I think. And even then, he won't tell me what I am for 12 more years. I'm 23 now, but I'm still 11 here in this place. Wherever this place is. _

_The Institute. I want my angel to find me now, but he won't find me for 12 more years. Nothing happens for 12 years. I'm 11 now. I can't blame him for anything that happens to me now. It's not his fault, he wants to protect me; he doesn't know me yet. But I know him. My red angel. The color of blood. _

_I shudder and close my eyes against the color in my mind. It's a bad color, but it's the color of my angel's mask. That's right, his mask. Not his eyes, his mask. His eyes are brown. Like my hair. My hair is curly… like my father's. But I don't know my father. But I have his hair. I must, because I don't have my mother's. I have my mother's eyes though. Green eyes. Like my angel… green in red. Or red in green? I want my angel to save me now. _

_There's a sound. I know that sound. I turn and look. A door has opened, and someone stands there. I can't see his face. He is everyone, and he is no one. The faceless man, whom I'd forgotten with Jer's help. _

_Jeremy… he's across from me, in another white and silver room. Standing at the window, I can see him. He looks scared and I wish I could tell him I'll be alright. I've had this dream before. It's a dream, isn't it? This isn't real. I'm 23 now, but I'm 11 in this place. The faceless man is dead now, and you helped me get over him, Jeremy. You loved me, Jeremy, and I threw it away. I'm sorry, Jer. Did I ever tell you that? I'm sorry I left you. I want to go back and tell you I love you too, but I can't. _

_The faceless man doesn't care though. He's here for me. One moment he's standing in the door to the white and silver room, and the next he's pulling me from my cool shower. His hand falls over one of my angel red burns, and I cry out in pain. Jeremy screams at me from behind his glass wall. He hits it with his fist. Once, twice. On the third time a smear of red appears where the skin splits open on his knuckles. The sight makes me sick and I have to look away before I throw up. _

_He pulls me across the room, the faceless man. He's bigger than me. If I were 23, I could fight him off. But I'm 11. He pushes me onto my white bed with the silver frame and as the harsh fabric rubs over the blisters on my small body, I whimper; it hurts. I know what he wants to do to me. He's done it to me many times, although this is the first. I know, because I've dreamt this before. But I had no red angel to save me before. I have him now, and he'll find me and save me someday. I just have to wait, and he'll find me. _

_Even though I know the pain, and I expect it, I still scream. I feel the scorching heat of the faceless man's body above mine, and I scream. His hands hold me down and I can't move, and I scream. When he finishes, I'm still screaming; he slaps me hard across the face with such force that my lip splits open upon my teeth, and the salty taste of blood fills my mouth._

_The faceless man stands and zips up his pants, but I don't see it. My eyes are closed and I'm gagging against the copper flavor in my mouth. I hear the door shut once more and I roll over on my side, clutching my stomach, willing myself not to be sick. But there's a wetness on my legs, and I open my eyes. The blood is vibrant and shocking against the white of the room and the cream of my thighs. I stare, frozen. I see three droplets in my mind, running down the side of a beautiful ivory frosting, and then I see the dark smears on the bed sheets._

_From the corner of my eye, I can see Jeremy. He's on his knees now, still beating at the glass, and he's crying. Don't cry for me Jeremy. You helped me get over this, remember? It took years, but you did it, and I loved you for it. So please don't cry for me, Jeremy._

_But the taste of the blood is too much to handle, and I pull myself from the bed, stumbling to the toilet. The sound of retching is loud in the small white, silver, and now red room. When I'm done throwing up, I drag myself to the shower. I have to get the blood off. Nothing matters but the blood, I have to get it off. This may be a dream, but I have to get it off. _

_The water falls cold over my body once more, and I curl up in a ball on the wet tile, as snug into the corner as I can get. I'm crying now. I know because the liquid on my face is warm, but the shower is cold. I don't know how long I sit in the shower alone. It must have been a long time. It must have been 12 years, because I can hear my angel's voice now. His strong hands pick me up and pull me into his arms. He cradles me, and tells me he'll keep me safe, and I believe him. His fingers run through my hair and his voice is soft in my ear. _

_Opening my eyes, I see Jeremy looking at me from across the hall. He looks sad. He wants to be my angel, but I wouldn't let him. He saved me once and I loved him, but I wouldn't let him be my angel. I've got a new angel now. I've got my red angel. My red angel has only known me for a short time, but he loves me already. And I want to love him. I want to fall in love with him. _

_I am falling in love with him. _

_I'm falling._

* * *

I fell. Hard. From the sofa onto the hard wood floor of the apartment. My legs and arms were tangled in the soft green blanket and I couldn't stop myself. I hit the ground with a thud and cried out as I landed on my stomach with one hand tucked underneath me, the other twisted behind my back. My left leg was still half on the sofa while my right foot knocked against the sturdy leg of the coffee table. I laid there for a moment, disoriented, and shaking violently. 

The images of the nightmare were still fixed in my head and no matter how I tried, I couldn't push them away. Raphael's arms around me had felt so real, so comforting, and the urge to vomit had passed in my uncomfortable sleep. But still, I hadn't had that dream since I was 15 years old. It used to come to me every night while I slept, and then Jeremy… Jeremy helped me. God only knew how he put up with me during that time, but he did… and he eventually helped me get rid of the nightmares and memories.

But this time… this time was different. Raphael. Blinking, I stared at the hardwood floor of my apartment. I could see all the little cracks where the pieces were fit together and there was only one thought on my mind. …okay, actually there were two. The first being, _Wow… I really need clean._ But the second was of the last dreaming image before I was so rudely awakened by the living room floor. I was falling in love with Raphael.

No. Impossible. I wouldn't believe it. Yah, I _liked_ him, but love? I hardly knew him. I mean… falling on him, then being tackled by him, then staying up all night in a dark room chatting about little things with him, then practically being stripped by him in a kitchen… then going on a date with him… then kissing him… then sleeping with him… _those things don't qualify as getting to know a person really well… do they? Yah, I suppose they do…_

Okay, so maybe I did know him better than I thought. And maybe I liked him a little bit more than just a friend. …okay, a _lot_ more. I wanted him here now, I realized with a desperate longing. I wanted him to hold me and tell me all the things he told me in my dream. That he loved me, and he'd keep me safe… that he'd be my angel.

It was silly, I knew, but the dream was still so vivid, so fresh. I didn't want sex right now. I wanted him to hug me. So silly… just a hug… but I wanted it so bad. I could call him. I could call and beg him to come here and hold me, and he'd do it. But by the time he got here, I'd probably have calmed down, and then I'd feel even more ridiculous. I was torn once more, between wanting to be alone, and wanting his company. The matter was quickly decided though as I realized I still didn't have his phone number. And I was still lying on the floor, which seemed to be getting colder by the second.

With a groan that echoed the soreness all over my body, I somehow managed to untangle myself from the blanket and stand up. The kitchen light had been left on by Raphael when he left… it must have been, because I hadn't turned any lights on when I'd come in. I staggered to the kitchen, extremely thirsty. In my still groggy and somewhat disorienting state of mind, I probably shouldn't have been using the stove, but I was desperate for a nice hot cup of tea. Moving like a robot, I put the water on to boil and looked over the wide selection of tea that decorated the wall along the back counters. I read all the names, promptly forgetting each one. Finally I saw a pretty red box that looked like it might have nice tea in it. _Red like Raph_, a voice echoed from the dream, and I shook my head to get it away. I didn't need him… I didn't love him.

_Red like Raph… Red like Raph_, the voice insisted as I tore open the packet and pulled the little tea bag out.

"No… just red." I argued to myself. _Red like Raph_, the tea bag seemed to shout at me.

"No! Red tea. Just red tea." _Red like Raph_.

"NO!" I screamed and practically threw the little bag into a mug that had a little picture of a turtle on the side. I hadn't even been aware that was the mug I'd grabbed. The hand that was holding the turtle mug started shaking and I set it down on the counter, afraid I might drop it. _Red like Raph_, the tea bag said once more, a finality to its tone that I just couldn't argue with.

"Fine." I said aloud. "Fine, red like Raph. Red fucking tea that's red like Raph." I glared at the tea bag, daring it to say anything more on the subject. When it didn't speak, I was almost disappointed. Then I realized I'd been arguing with a teabag. Shit. I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but thought if I wasn't already crazy, then that was certainly the last step. Laughing maniacally to yourself while you're alone in the kitchen arguing with a fucking tea bag.

The whistle of the kettle drew me out of my crazy thoughts, and I sighed and poured the water into the mug. I idly wondered if it was wrong of me to feel satisfaction over drowning the poor little teabag in boiling liquid, effectively silencing any further observations it cared to give on my love life. When I couldn't find any reason to object, I smiled in smug satisfaction and picked up the mug, ready to carry it into the living area with me.

But I stopped when I saw the piece of paper lying on the kitchen counter, next to the phone. I hadn't noticed it before, either when I came into the apartment, or when I woke up. Staring at it blankly for a moment, I tried to figure out what on earth it could be. Finally realizing I'd have a better chance of finding out if I actually picked it up and read it, I moved my feet and reached for it with the hand that wasn't holding my tea.

It was from Raphael. He must have written it before he and Leo left. A smile came to my lips as I looked at the handwriting. It was hastily scrawled out in sloppy, uneven letters, and it had a charm that was undeniable. Definitely a male's handwriting.

"_Austin, _

_Where ever the hell you are, get home soon. And for god's sake, call me as soon as you do._

_-Raphael"_

And he left a number. Something inside me leapt for joy, and I was reaching for the phone before I'd even realized what I was doing. But I forced myself to put it down, and then read the message again. He knew I was safe… he'd been here when I'd gotten back. I didn't need to call him now.

_I want my angel to save me now._ I could hear myself in the dream, and I could feel his arms comforting me. My fingers flew over the keypad on the handset before I even knew I'd picked it up again. I was in a daze, my mind racing between the images in my dream and the reality of my apartment and the cold phone next to my ear. I could hear the ringing, but I was only dimly aware of it.

"Hello?" A confused voice answered. When I didn't answer right away, he repeated himself. It was Donatello, I could tell.

"It's… um… it's me. Austin… Can I…?" My tongue seemed so heavy in my mouth, and I wasn't quite sure what I was saying. Some dim part of me really hadn't expected anyone to answer.

"What happened? Are you okay, Austin?" His voice was calm, but I could sense a small tinge of anxiety beneath. Looking over at the clock on the stove, I realized it was almost two in the morning. Shit, I hadn't even thought about the time.

"No... uh… I'm fine. I'm sorry… I shouldn't have called… did I wake you?" The daze wore off, and I realized how stupid I must sound, calling this time of the morning.

"No, I was up… are you sure you're alright?"

I wasn't certain that I believed him or not, but I didn't question it. "Yah, I just… I had a bad dream and… um… I'm sorry…" I stumbled over the words as a shudder swept through me. Even to say the words was causing me to lose concentration on the conversation.

"It's okay Aust-.." He paused and I could tell the phone was being muffled. There were stifled voices from somewhere in the background, and then finally another voice came on. A voice I knew.

"Austin?"

_I can't blame him for anything that happens to me now. It's not his fault, he wants to protect me; he doesn't know me yet. But I know him. My red angel. The color of blood. _My mouth went dry as he said my name, and I blinked back tears as the worst of the images came pounding back down on me, and I could taste the blood in my mouth again. I heard a crash from somewhere and looked down to see the turtle mug I'd forgotten I was holding laying in pieces on the floor, dark liquid spreading over the floor. In the dim light of the kitchen, and the fractured state of my mind, I stared, seeing a pool of blood instead of tea.

"Christ, what was that? What happened!" His voice grew frantic, but I still couldn't answer. Blood… blood everywhere… blood on the floor… blood in my mouth, on my legs… So dark…

"Blood…" I whispered softly, unaware that I'd even spoken.

My knees buckled, and I found myself sliding down against the counter until I was crumpled on the floor, still cradling the phone to my ear, my eyes shut against the reddish brown puddle on the dark wood. I thought I'd gotten over this; the blood and the memory. It had been so long since I'd had a breakdown like this, I'd thought it was finished. But I had been so wrong… the stress of the last few days was causing me to snap. Devon gone, Adair back, David and Lucas missing, Susan rejecting me… and Raphael loving me. It was too much.

"Talk to me, baby, tell me you're okay."

I was afraid to open my eyes and see the blood, and no matter how I tried, no words would come from my mouth. I tried to say his name, but only a small pitiful sound came out.

There was a curse from the other end, and then, "Don't move, baby. I'll be there in ten minutes." A muffled voice came again, then Donatello.

"Austin? Can you hear me?" I nodded, for some unknown reason absolutely certain that he'd be able to see me. "Austin? C'mon girl, let me know you're still with us."

I struggled with my voice, fighting for control. After what seemed like eternity, I finally managed a weak, "D-Don?" I stuttered horribly over his name, but he must have heard me. Relief washed over his voice when he spoke next.

"That's it, Austin." Even in my debilitating state I could hear the smile on his lips. "You had us worried for a second there. Gave Raph the fright of his life, you know that? He's got it bad for you, Austin. I'm going to stay on the phone with you until he gets there, is that okay?"

I nodded again, clutching the phone tighter to my ear. His voice pierced the visions still swimming in my head and I silently pleaded that he wouldn't quit talking. I didn't want to be left alone with the blood… the blood and the memory.

"Did something happen, Austin? Did you-… Are you hurt?" I knew he wanted to ask if I'd hurt myself. I could hear it in his voice.

"I…" This shouldn't be happening. I was over this, dammit. I hadn't had an attack like this in years; it should be so simple for me to handle… I've fought them off before. But I couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't feel anything except the weight of the phone in my hand, and Donatello's voice carrying over the line in between the visions of white, silver, and red. Every time he said my name, it brought me closer to home, but I still couldn't find my voice. I didn't know what to say or how to answer him.

"Do you need to go to a hospit-" With a gasp, Donatello quickly cut his words off when he realized what he had just been about to ask. But I heard it. I knew what he was going to say and I let out an anguished cry and dropped the phone, curling into myself as tight as I could. It wasn't his fault, some small part of my mind knew, but the reaction was almost involuntary. I was crying; tears escaped my closed eyes, and then the floodgates opened. Years of repressed anguish, fears of being alone, and haunted memories from the past swept through me like a tidal wave and no force on earth could hold back the torrent.

The visions of the past had sunk their claws into my brain, and there was nothing I could do to stop the deluge of images. From somewhere in the distance I could hear a tinny voice calling for me, but it had no effect. Time passed, but I wasn't aware of it. It could have been minutes… it could have been years._ It must have been 12 years, because I can hear my angel's voice now._

I felt the strong arms picking me up off the floor and clung tightly to them, burying my face against a hard surface. _I've got a new angel now_. It was just like my dream. His hand was running lightly over my hair, and I could hear his voice, rough and hard, but soft and soothing as well. It was comforting in a way that no one else's voice could ever be.

I don't think I'll ever know what he was saying to me, but it had the calming effect I'd felt in the dream. As he spoke, I could feel my mind pulling me away from the nightmare, and my sobs softened to moans, and then I shuddered in bitter release as I finally found myself again. Raphael… he was here… he would keep me safe. I could smell him, feel him, hear him. He was all around me, the only thing in my mind. My eyes had been squeezed so tightly shut, it hurt to open them. When I finally tried, the dim light of the apartment was harsh and invading, and I whimpered in pain. Raph silenced me softly and carried me away from the light.

His arms finally released me into softness, and I grabbed for his hands blindly, not wanting him to leave. He said something, but I don't know what; instead of leaving though, I could feel his weight sink down onto the bed next to me. I was as limp as a rag doll, but he somehow managed to undress me gently, and then pull the covers of the bed over my body.

Finally able to open my eyes without pain, I could just make out his blurry green form standing up.

"Raphael…" I whispered softly and he turned. I couldn't see his face, for my eyes were having a hard time adjusting to sight again.

He leaned over the bed and touched my cheek gently, in a gesture I was coming to love. "Don't worry. I won't leave you." He was gone and back quicker than even my fractured mind would have thought possible. His hand reached for my face again and I felt warmth… he had a damp cloth and was softly washing away the stains of my tears.

The corners of my mouth lifted in a small smile, and he knew then that I was truly back with him, from the hell I'd been in when he arrived.

"Had me worried, baby…"

"Y'keep calling me that…" I mumbled softly, my jaw sore from how hard I'd been clenching it shut.

"Would you prefer somethin' else? Babe? Princess? Angel? Goddess?" He dropped the cloth and his hand once more stroked my hair. It was more comforting than he could ever know.

"Not angel… you're the angel…" I closed my eyes and snuggled down into the pillow. "I like 'baby'…"

I could hear the smirk in his voice. "I ain't no angel, baby. Far from it."

"Mmmm… fallen angel, then" I murmured softly. "Horns are holding up your halo…"

He chuckled softly and leaned down to lightly kiss me on the forehead. "I guess you've got me figured out, don'tcha?"

"Wanna figure you out more…" It was the closest he would get to a vow of commitment from me at the moment, but perhaps with time, I could give him more. Perhaps.

Instead of replying, he agilely climbed over me and lay down, pulling me tight against him, blankets and all. I felt so warm, so safe and secure and I knew nothing was going to harm me as long as Raph was here. I snuggled back against him, all images of my attack forgotten completely. The only thing on my mind was him and I.

"I told you, you'd fall for me." He whispered in my ear and I smiled contentedly.

"You're an ass." My words were slurred and spoken into the soft pillow, but Raphael got the gist of it.

"An you're cute."

"I know…" Yawning, I pulled the blankets up to my chin and smiled, safe in my little burrow. I let my mind slowly drift back to sleep and this time when I dreamt, the dreams were sweet.

* * *

The arm around my waist confused me when I woke up, but only for an instant. Then I remembered, and I groaned slightly. It had been a bad attack, that was for sure. Worse than the one down in the sewers, and I'd be surprised if Raph and his brothers didn't think I was totally insane now. …but of course… the arm proved otherwise. 

Sometime during the night Raphael must have crawled under the covers with me. His arm lay across my bare skin, and I could feel the hardness of his shell against my back. I found I liked the sensation a lot more than the skin on skin contact I'd had with guys in the past. On the off chance that I'd ever woken up in a guy's bed, I'd hated that early morning too-warm, slightly sticky feeling of skin rubbing on skin. It made me feel… dirty. But Raph's body was cooler to the touch; the thick skin of his arms, and the hard boney surface of his plastron… it felt wonderful against my own body. I loved it.

In a manner that was actually rather ungraceful, I twisted myself around in his arms until I was facing him. I don't know if he'd been awake, or if my jerky uncoordinated movements woke him, but he was up just the same. He lifted his arm slightly until I got settled again, then pulled me close once more. He'd taken off his mask and gear, and it made him seem so much less… aggressive. Part of me liked it, and the other part of me was a little disappointed. I guess he couldn't be a tough guy all the time though. I sighed softly and closed my eyes once more, still drowsy from sleep.

"Hey..." I said softly.

"Hey. You okay?"

I nodded into the pillow. "I had… a bad day yesterday."

"Could'a fooled me." The mocking tone in his voice earned him a kick. Nothing too hard though, because I was still sore and weak from last night's little adventure. Raph let out a small chuckle and leaned his head in to kiss me. "That's my girl." He said quietly before his mouth captured mine.

"I'm n-…" What I'd been about to say when our lips parted was _'I'm nobody's girl'_. It was purely habitual reaction, but I stopped myself. I wanted to be his girl, and nobody else's. And I wanted him to want only me. God, was it really only three nights ago I'd been thinking the exact opposite? My dream hadn't been prophetic, I knew that. Everything that happened in the dream was caused by thoughts, feelings, and memories from my life, mostly over the past six days. Six days… that was all it took for my life to do a 180 and turn itself completely around. But still… the dream may not have been prophetic, but it had been enlightening. Wasn't it Cinderella who had sung 'A dream is a wish your heart makes'? If that's true, then perhaps my heart knows what's better for me than my brain. _I'm falling in love with him_. The words echoed again from my dream, and I knew them to be true.

"Austin? You still with me?" I blinked and looked over to see the concern in his eyes. I'd been spacing again… I really needed to learn not to do that. Sometimes my thoughts just carried me away…

"Yah… I just… I was thinking."

"Bout what?"

Biting my lip, I looked down, choosing to concentrate on the edge of his plastron instead of his face. "You. Me. Last night… yesterday… everything."

"What happened, Austin? Donnie said somethin' about a dream, but… shit, baby. What the hell happened?"

"It's… stress, I think. I don't know. Everything seemed to all fall down on me at once…" I tried to explain how the meeting with Susan's lawyer had gone, and I could tell Raph wasn't happy. He interrupted with a few choice words and suggestions with what Powell could have gone and done with the paperwork. Smiling, I agreed, and finished by telling him how I'd stormed out of the restaurant.

"I didn't know what to do… god… I should have come home, Raph. I'm sorry I didn't… but… I was so upset. I needed to get away for a while."

"Where'd you go? And don't tell me you spent all day in the bar."

"Ok, I won't." He apparently didn't think I was very funny because his eyes narrowed and his lips tightened. He didn't say anything though, so I finally sighed and continued. "You're not going to like it if I tell you."

"I'll like it even worse if you don't."

"I…" I sighed and decided to bite the bullet. "I went to David's house."

"You ­­WHAT?" He lifted himself up on one arm and looked down at me with a look that was more than just disapproving. "Why the fuck did you go there? Do you even _remember_ what that kid said to you on the phone. Shit, you could have been caught, Austin!"

"Yah, I know…"

"Fuckin' _think_ next time, baby. What the hell were you doing there?"

"I just… I thought Jeremy might be wrong… I wanted to find out for sure."

"Ever heard of a phone? Or even a fuckin' letter?"

"Raph, please… I _know_. I was just upset, ok? I wasn't thinking!"

"Damn right you weren't. Fuck…" He grunted in frustration and lay back down, wrapping his arms around me. "Don't take risks like that, baby…"

I sighed and closed my eyes once more, as he ran his fingers through my hair. "I'm fine though, everything was okay…" _Except for the whole Jeremy being right and David prophesying the taking of my life. _But I didn't think Raph would be too pleased to hear about that, so I didn't mention it.

"Doesn't matter. I don't want anythin' to happen to you."

I bit my lip to keep from making a sarcastic remark. Now was definitely not the time to piss him off. "I won't do it again." I said finally.

"Damn straight…"

We lay there in silence for a while, until finally the stillness was broken by a loud growl. My stomach was complaining from the lack of food. I hadn't eaten since… well, I had some peanuts at the bar. Other than that… it had been before the concert, night before last…

"I'm hungry…" I said softly and realized that was probably half the reason I'd felt so weak lately.

"Hmmm." I could tell Raph was trying to decide between making a perverted comment, or taking me seriously. He finally chose the better of the two replies. "What d'you want?"

"Food…"

"What _kind_ of food?"

"The edible kind."

He glared at me in what I hoped was mock frustration. "I've seen what's in your kitchen, Austin. I don't think half that stuff _is_ edible."

"Hey, I live on a budget."

"Have you even _checked_ the expiration date on the milk in your fridge anytime in the last month?"

"…I have milk in my fridge?"

Raphael raised an eyeridge and studied me for a moment. "That's it. I'm never lettin' you cook for me."

I was too lazy to flip him off so I just wrinkled my nose in disgust. "I never claimed to be the domestic type."

"So I've noticed."

"Well, I'm still hungry." I twisted my head around and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was 11:15. I'd slept late today… but damn it had been a good sleep. "Hmmm…. I have an idea." I said finally, reaching for the phone.

No more than twenty minutes later, there was a nice assortment of sandwiches, hot fresh soup, rolls, and even a couple slices of homemade apple pie sitting on my counter. All courtesy of Ken, my favorite chef and coworker. I made a mental note to suggest to Doris that he needed a raise. That boy was just too fantastic for words. And cute also. …Too bad my preferences were starting to run towards green and bald lately. I looked over Raphael once more as I unwrapped the food and grinned. Nah, Ken just couldn't compare to what I had now.

"What?" Raph asked as he leaned back against the counter next to me, a smirk on his face.

"Mmmm… nothing." I smiled to myself and thought of how sweet Raph was, even though he tried to hide it. The broken mug was nowhere to be found, and the kitchen floor had been wiped clean of the tea from last night. I didn't ask about it, and he didn't say anything. Perhaps later I'd mention it, but for now I didn't want to think about the little episode I'd had. I was starving, and the food smelled so damn good.

We ate on the couch, seeing as how my dining room table was cluttered with all sorts of stuff. The sofa was my primary eating place anyway. That, or the computer desk. I wished I could say that I ate daintily and slowly, but dammit, I was famished. The most I can say is that I didn't talk with a full mouth. The conversation was light, and mostly concerned the news reports on the TV that I'd turned on. Neither of us seemed to be in the mood for deep life-altering conversation anyway.

Raphael had been sitting next to me, but when I finished eating I shifted so I was sitting sideways on the couch, and not very subtly plopped my legs down onto his lap. I was full, and I was happy, and there was an incredibly cute guy—no, turtle… sitting on the couch with me. He leaned back a little, and placed one arm protectively down over my thighs, the other he stretched out behind his head. Raph didn't look at me, his attention on the TV, but I could see the grin on his face widen, and I smiled as well. This wasn't so bad… I could do this. I could be with him.

The ringing of the phone interrupted my thoughts, and I mentally congratulated myself for having the foresight to bring the handset _with_ me. I giggled and kicked Raph when he tried to tickle me as I answered the phone, his eyes never leaving the TV.

"Hello? Ack! Stop it!" I laughed and leaned forward, swatting him lightly on the shoulder. It gave me a warm, unfamiliar feeling in my stomach, and I knew I'd fallen hard for him. Was it possible to be this happy? This couldn't last… could it? God, I was practically _radiating_ happiness.

"Ms. Bridger?" The unfamiliar voice caused me to pause, and Raph seemed to sense it had become a bad time for play.

"Uh… yes?"

"Ms. Bridger, this is Evan Powell." The look that came over my face must have been something akin to total disgust.

"Ah… Mr. Powell. What can I do for you?" The false pleasantness of my tone must have been evident to Raph, because he smirked at me and made an obscene gesture at the phone. I snorted in laughter, but somehow managed to cover it with a cough, and then politely apologized. Powell seemed either not to notice, or not to care.

"I was wondering if perhaps you would care to meet again. So we can discuss your… requests."

"I told you what I want, Mr. Powell. If Ms. Carmine won't give it to me, then the least I deserve is to have her tell me why straight to my face."

There was a pause, and then, "Would you please hold, Ms. Bridger?"

"I'd rather not." But he put me on hold anyway, and I rolled my eyes at the crappy elevator music that was playing in my ear. In all honesty, I wasn't sure Susan was going to give me my father's name. If she didn't… well… I had no clue what I would do then. Go on with my life, probably. What else could I do?

He finally came back on just as I was about to hang up on him. "Ms. Bridger?"

"Last time I checked."

I swear, I could hear him grating his teeth over the phone. I must have been really pissing him off. Lawyers are fun to fuck with. Or at least, this one was.

"Ms. Carmine is willing to meet with you… today, if possible. We'd like this little matter settled before she has to fly out of the country this weekend."

"She'll meet with me?" I gaped in disbelief. After standing me up yesterday, and then having the balls to offer to buy my silence… she was willing to meet with me? …there was no way I'd miss this for the world. I wanted to know what she'd have to say for herself. "When?" I demanded.

"Why don't you come to Ms. Carmine's office today at 5? She should be done with her business for the day by then."

"Yes, because I certainly wouldn't want to cut into her busy schedule."

"Good." Obviously sarcasm was lost on him. "Do you need the address?"

"No, I'll just take a wild guess and hope it's the right building."

"Ms. Bridger, this would go much smoother if you'd be willing to cooperate." I wanted to laugh at him, but that might not be considered 'willing to cooperate'.

"Tell you what, Mr. Powell. I'll cooperate as soon as I get what I want. Why don't you put that nice secretary on the line, and she can tell me the address. I really don't feel like talking to you anymore."

"Ms. Bridg-"

"Or else I'll hang up and call the press. The secretary, now. …Please." I added as politely as possible. No need to be overly rude.

There was another pause, and finally I was put on hold again. When the secretary finally came online, she gave me the address in a very confused, but professional tone. I thanked her and finally hung up, throwing the phone down in disgust.

"I hate lawyers." Sighing, I leaned back against the arm of the couch.

"Want me to take care of him?" Raphael asked in a malicious tone that I absolutely fell in love with.

"Please." I looked at him for a few moments, then smiled and pulled myself up. There was a light in Raph's eyes as I skillfully straddled his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Kiss me?" I asked coyly.

He obliged, and I soon found myself involved in one of the most spectacular make-out sessions in the long, beautiful history of make-out sessions.

Yah. I could definitely do this.

_I'm falling…_

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes**: Wheeeeee. Austin's finally coming to her senses. …Sort of. I hope the whole dream sequence thing worked well into the chapter. I decided to lighten the chapter up at the end, instead of leaving it all dark and angsty. I don't want to put Austin through too much yet. She still has a sequel to get through. Muahahahaha…. Imagine how much I can screw with her in a whole new story. …I'm so mean. 

Oh. And no, Austin wasn't naked while she and Raph were eating. She had to get dressed so she could run downstairs and pick up the food from the Cafe. Ken may be nice and fix her the food, but he doesn't make home deliveries. :)

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**EntropyMage:** Hopefully Raph stayed in character through this chapter… I tried really hard. And I'm not sure what it was about last chapter, I just wasn't too happy with it. (shrugs) I don't know. But I love how this chapter turned out. And you're right about Leo's arguments. It's mostly stuff about responsibility and practicing, and such. And of course, I'm sure he doesn't approve of the relationship between Raph and Austin as it stands. It is kind of… sudden.

**Reluctant Dragon: **(Falls over giggling) "Just when you thought it was safe to bake again!" I absolutely love that. I wish I'd thought to use a line like that in the fic, it's so awesome. :)

As for Austin's previous bedmates… well… I'll just say her history is very wide and varied… she doesn't really put much stock in who they are... as long as they're good. So it's obvious to anyone who knows anything about her, that she doesn't always choose the most trustworthy.

And **never **apologize for long reviews. I love them. ;)

**Reinbeauchaser**: I hope this chapter clears up a little bit of why Austin is the way she is. I, unfortunately, know too many girls who are in very similar situations, and they became much the way Austin is (Thankfully, I've seen at least one of them pull herself out of it, and is now happily engaged). Poor Raph doesn't understand everything that's happened to her, and if he did, I'm sure he wouldn't have moved so fast. There's still so much he doesn't know about her, even now.

And please please please, never feel hesitant about sharing your views or opinions. I understand where you're coming from, and I respect everything you said. I may not completely agree, but that's the wonders of being able to have your own opinion. (I can say that from my own experiences, my outlook on life has been changed dramatically. Some of it for the good, some of it for the bad.)

**Isis-Lament:** You are awesome. I must say that before I continue. Thanks for your help with the chapter, I appreciated it so much.

Anyway, (ponders the thoughts on David's parentage) You know… that's making me want to write out back stories for all the minor characters. ….Oh crap. I don't need any more plot bunnies. OUT! Get OUT of my head! (sighs)

Hmm… Austin isn't _quite_ alcoholic… but she does drink more than she should. Especially lately with all the stuff that's been going on. The only positive (which really isn't one), is that she stays away from the hard liquor for the most part. She's a beer drinker, which is only slightly less damaging to her pocketbook. As for her sanity.. well.. that's always questionable.

And now… thanks to you I desperately want to go back and re-watch the first two turtle movies. …I forgot he danced in the second one…. And if I remember correctly… yes, he was awesome… Mmmmm…..

**kaya lizzie:** Muahahaha! There shall be more prophecy stuff coming up soon… I think. It depends on how the next chapter goes. Sooner or later, all your questions shall be answered! …Unfortunatly for you, some of them will be later rather than sooner. Sorry. (evil laughter)

**FairDrea: **Ack! Don't be late just for me! Do you know how guilty I'd feel if you got fired or something because of fanfic? Ack! ….although, I appreciate it. (grins)

And feel free to assume away! I love hearing what people think might happen. Hehehe. I won't tell you if you're right or wrong, though. Cause I'm evil.

And Xander kicks ass. I haven't seen that episode in a long time, but now I want to go watch it again. I'll have to track down my Buffy DVD's. I know they're around the house somewhere…

**RainySunshine:** (pounces the new reviewer) Hi! Heheh. Thanks for your review! Hopefully you've read the chapter already instead of skipping to the notes, but if not, then Austin is 23. I've gotten a lot of people asking that, and I realized I never actually stated in the story. Sorry!

**Trillian4210:** (grins insanely) Oh please, feel free to give me opinions on the prophecy and such. ….I won't tell you if you're right or wrong just yet, but as I said in another review, I _love_ hearing from y'all. I get perverted pleasure out of sitting here and giggling evilly to myself. Although… in a few chapters, the prophecy will be addressed again, and it might change your ideas on it. So feel free to share away… and then when you find out more… share away again! Hehehehe

**Mickis:** Hmm… I'll tell you this. You're partly right on the prophecy. …which part, I won't say.

And have no fear, Donnie isn't gay. That was just Austin's little drunken mind thinking she was being clever. But Donnie never seemed very gay to me, and it just doesn't fit with what I want to happen in this story… in the long run. sighs I already have this story arc spanning _years_ in my head… It will take me decades to write if I continue at the pace I'm going.


	18. Hello and Goodbye

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin is mine. Mine mine mine mine mine.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: Isis-Lament** is 'da bomb. She was my wonderfully fantastic beta reader for this chapter, and if it sucks… um… blame her. I had nothing to do with it. Hehehehe. (offers chocolate and hugs and a couple Raphaels to Isis for her help) Seriously, I'm so ashamed at what my chapters must have been like before I had a second pair of eyes looking over them.

And sorry for taking such an awful long time to get this out. This chapter just didn't want to cooperate with me. But I busted my ass to get it done, and y'all better appreciate it. Yes, that means YOU. All you readers who don't leave reviews! (RANT) Yah, I looked at the stats. Over 50 reads on the last chapter of Misadventures, and how many reviews did I get? HOW MANY? 11. Eleven. That's how many. Dammit, I better get the same amount of reviews as I get hits this chapter or else I'll um…. Um… I'll… be sad. Very very sad. And I might not write a sequel. So there. …ok, so that's an empty threat. But still. I guess I should just appreciate that I _have_ that many readers. _(.(I'm not really mad, I actually find it highly amusing. Probably half of those hits are me going back and double checking the chapter for typos, and reference for the chapter in progress. Hehehe.).)_

_FunFact:_No FunFact today, because… um…. That's your punishment. Yah, it's _your_ fault, all you people who don't review. You're the reason I'm withholding this chapter's FunFact. Don't you feel bad now? Good. You should.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Chapter 17**

_Italics _are private thought, or emphasis on a word

* * *

Susan's office was located on the highest floor of the tallest building that I'd ever set foot in. It certainly wasn't the tallest in New York City, but it was by no means just a plain ol' ordinary high-rise. Sculptures and paintings littered the walls of Carmine Fashions Inc., and all of them screamed 'I'm expensive; don't touch me'. …I touched a few of them, just to be a brat. If that little restaurant had made me feel out of place, then this building gave the impression that anyone who wasn't born into a million-dollar family was nothing more than gutter trash. Every single one of those pieces of artwork was probably worth enough money to feed a third world country for a year or more. Thankfully, I didn't look too out of place this time. 

Hidden back in the deep, dark recesses of my closet, I'd discovered something I'd hoped to keep buried. Everyone has skeletons in their closet. Myself, more than others, but if there was one thing I hadn't wanted Raphael, or anyone else, to know about, it was what I was wearing right now. I'd cringed as I'd pulled it out and then cursed myself for not doing my laundry in almost two week. All that I had left to wear were some casual shorts, and the horrendous sundress that had been safely out of sight on a hanger, ignored for most of its sad life.

As far as sundresses go, I suppose it wasn't so bad. But the fact that it was a modestly cut sundress that was more suited for middle-aged moms strolling through parks with their kids in tow, than for young 20-something single girls… well… let's just say I was seriously considering going naked.

But eventually I'd pulled on the dress and stared in horror at the sight that greeted me in the mirror. I don't wear dresses. I own a few skirts that are sleek and sexy, and rather cute, but as far as dresses go this is the only one I own. It was mostly white, with little pink and green flowers, and dark pink spaghetti straps. There was a faux sash around my waist that matched the shade of the straps and, thankfully, did not have a bow in the back. It flared slightly, and the hem hung down to just above my knees. Cringing, I'd looked at myself and wanted to cry at how much pink I was wearing.

On someone else, it might have been a cute dress. On me however, it seemed awkward and silly. I looked like a little girl playing dress-up. All that was missing was a band aid on my knee and a ponytail on the side of my head with a huge pink ribbon. Thankfully though, the swelling and redness around the stitches on my forehead were finally subsiding and I'd wondered how long it would be until Donnie could take them out.

I'd finally brushed my unruly hair into submission and braided it again, little wisps sticking out here and there. When it came to shoes, I'd managed to find a nice pair of sandals that weren't too uncomfortable.

Raphael had been reclining on my bed, watching me get dressed with an amused expression on his face. Before pulling the sundress out, I had warned him, "No comments from the peanut gallery". When I'd finally presented him with the finished product, the look he gave me made me want to smack him. A lot of things he did made me want to smack him, actually.

I must have looked as uncomfortable as I felt, because the only critique he made was "It doesn't quite suit you." And that had been quickly followed by an offer to help take it off again. And it had been a tempting proposal, but I was bound and determined not to be late this time. In fact, I'd been planning on getting there early.

Which is why I'd made it to the Carmine building with almost a half hour to spare. A large part of me was wondering if she'd skip out on our meeting again. The rest of me wasn't sure that I _didn't_ want her to do that. When I'd approached the large desk in the lobby, a young woman in a light pink blouse had taken my name and called up to what was presumably the same secretary I'd had the immense pleasure of talking to only a couple days ago. I couldn't remember her name, and honestly, didn't really care. The pink blouse lady told me to go on up to the 34th floor and pointed me to the elevators. I had the vague suspicion that the cameras were following my every movement, but that might have just been good old-fashioned paranoia.

By the time I'd reached the top floor, my legs had practically turned to jelly. Not just because of nerves, but from a combination of them and the height. I'd never liked heights. The third floor of my building was as high as I ever wanted to be. Human beings were meant for the ground, and close to the ground they should stay.

But yet there I was, standing in the high-rise office lobby of the woman who'd pushed me from her loins and then abandoned me at the first possible convenience. The thought sent a wave of guilt through me. She'd been sixteen. Sixteen, alone, and trying to care for a 3 month-old baby. She'd seen a way to offer me a better life and taken it. I could deal with that. It was the ignoring me, and pretending I didn't exist that pissed me off. The not caring if I was alive or dead. _That_ I couldn't forgive without good reason. Maybe I'd get that reason today, maybe I wouldn't. I'd find out soon.

The plush seats in the 34th floor lobby were a dark green, and I found myself running a finger over them and thinking of Raph as I sat down. Despite all that had happened between us, I was still hesitant about him whenever he wasn't with me. It was like he flicked a switch in me whenever he was around that made me want to always be with him… And then when I was alone again… I started having doubts. It hadn't quite sunk in yet, and I didn't know if it ever would. He was different from all the other guys. …In more than just the whole not being human aspect. But then again… maybe that was it. He wasn't human; he wasn't normal. Neither was Jer or Lucas. The three guys I'd had stronger feelings for in my life were technically a separate race than I was. Jer was a telepath, Lucas a FireMagi… and Raph was… well… Raph was a turtle. But there was still something supernatural about him… something almost magical. The thought made me giggle to myself as I pictured Raph dancing around in a little tutu and a magic wand; faerie wings attached to his shell. He'd kill me if I ever voiced _that_ little fantasy.

"Ms. Bridger?" The voice shattered my moment of levity and I scowled up at Evan Powell.

"Yah?" Not the wittiest remark, but it served its purpose.

If I thought I was unhappy to see him again, he looked downright disgusted at the prospect of dealing with me. I probably defied all his laws of polite business procedures. Every step into my mother's world, I realized how very far apart we were. I'd never let a man like this on my staff. Although… I suppose it was better to have a backstabbing venomous lawyer playing for your side rather than against. To be fair though, I really hadn't given him a chance. All he'd done so far was what my mother had told him to do. Which meant he was a pansy. Either way, I didn't like him.

"You're early, Ms. Bridger."

"Yah." His lips tightened in disapproval and I smiled politely. "I can wait; its okay."

"Unfortunately, you don't have to. Mrs. Carmine is ready to see you now."

"Oh." _That_, I hadn't expected. I was sure she'd keep me waiting at least ten or fifteen minutes after our scheduled time.

"If you would follow me…"

I shrugged as if I couldn't care less, when in reality I don't know how I was able to stand up without falling over. Every nerve in my body was on edge, and I just didn't know what to expect. It was worse than in the restaurant yesterday. …God, had it really only been yesterday? This had been the longest week of my life.

I followed Powell down a hallway, glass windows opening up to offices and meeting rooms on each side. We turned left at the end, and came upon a richly carved mahogany door. There were no windows opening up to this office, though. It had to be Susan's. Powell rapped sharply on the door, and then pushed it open. I didn't hesitate to follow him. If I hesitated, I knew I'd end up turning around and bolting for the lobby, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Susan was standing with her back to us, looking out the full-length window that made up the back wall of her office. She turned slowly, the light catching every blond highlight in her long straight, impeccably groomed hair. She was tall, slim, and very… tidy. Her light cream business jacket and matching skirt practically screamed 'I'm perfect'. I felt a twinge of jealousy shoot through me as I looked at her. She was everything I would never be. Okay, I'm not ashamed to admit I have a few minor self-esteem issues.

The eyes that looked so much like mine finally came to rest on me, and I felt like a clumsy adolescent under her gaze. _Oh god, why did I wear this crappy dress?_ The expression on her face was calm, composed. The expression on my own must have been some strange mix of awe, envy, disgust, and painful longing for something I knew she couldn't give me. I saw something close to unease cross her features as she looked at the four inch string of stitches that decorated my forehead. Etiquette must not have allowed her to ask about them though.

"Austin…" Her voice was soft and deep; an authoritative yet melodic voice. I had no clue what to say. All the ranting and raving and insults that I'd been storing up seemed to disappear from memory, and all I could do was nod. Susan gave me a small, very professional smile and gestured toward a chair that sat in front of a large executive desk. I numbly walked closer to her, and sat down in the chair. I couldn't read anything from her whatsoever. Hell, I could read Raph better than I could read her.

The thought of Raphael, oddly enough, seemed to jolt me back towards reality. I tore my eyes from my mother and blinked a couple times. The fog seemed to dissipate, and when I looked back to her, the trance that I'd felt when I first saw her had cleared.

"You left me…" I said quietly. It wasn't meant as an accusation, and I don't think it came out as one. It was a simple fact that seemed to hang in the air between us.

She swallowed back a reply and then looked to Powell who was still standing in the office. I don't know what was being said silently between them, but she gave him a quick nod, and he hesitantly turned and left the room. There was a soft click as the door closed behind me, and I was alone with her. The moment I'd been waiting for, for five years, had finally come.

Susan stepped slowly to the high-backed chair behind the desk, and sat down with a grace that she could only have been born with. One more thing I hadn't inherited from her. "You look… good, Austin." She ignored the echo of my words that still seemed to be lingering throughout the office.

I tightened my jaw slightly and tried to keep a steady voice. "I'm glad I meet your approval, _Mother_." The barest of a flinch passed over her features and I wondered if it was at the word 'mother', or the dry, sarcastic tone of my speech.

"Austin, please… you don't need to be like that."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "How should I be? Tell me, because I really want to know." I couldn't help the mocking quality that was slipping into my voice. The look on her face when I'd walked in… it was still in my head. I would have given anything to see emotion there… anger, joy, nervousness, _anything_. But her calm, cool demeanor had told me everything I'd been hoping I wouldn't see. She really didn't care about me. The small voice in the back of my head (that I usually refused to listen to), told me that I'd thought that about Raph too. Oooooh boy, had I ever been mistaken about him... I wanted to believe that maybe Susan was hiding her true feelings too… but after the way I'd been treated yesterday, I just couldn't bring myself to hold any more hope.

Susan leaned forward and rested her hands lightly on the desk. "Austin, there are things you don't understand."

"What don't I understand? You left me. You made a better life for yourself, and then you forgot about me." All those things I'd forgotten I'd wanted to say were quickly coming back to mind. "I understand enough to know you don't give a shit about me."

A hurt and somewhat shocked look came across her face. "I never forgot about you, Austin." She said softly, giving me a quizzical expression. "Didn't you read my letters?"

Slam. Brick wall. The bitter retort died on my tongue and my mouth went dry. "What letters…?"

Susan's jaw tightened and we stared at each other in surprise for almost a full minute, before she finally spoke again. "Terri… my mother… she didn't give them to you?"

"I… haven't spoken to her in years." I thought of the last time I saw her. The day I'd shown up on her doorstep and demanded my birth certificate. I tried not to picture the heartbroken look on her face when I'd turned away and left her alone on the porch. It probably hadn't been fair to her, but at the time I'd been upset and angry over so many different things.

"I sent you one every year… oh god… you didn't get them, did you?" The horrified look on her face as realization finally dawned sent a surge of guilt through me. Maybe I'd been too quick to judge her…

"You sent me letters…?" My mind was still having a hard time grasping the idea. Susan had no reason to lie to me, and the look she'd given me had been so honest, I didn't see any reason to doubt her. "But…"

My mind raced back in time. I couldn't remember any letters, ever. I wanted to be mad that Terri had lied to me like that… but… had she? I'd only been four when Devon took me away, and before that I didn't remember much of anything… and I'd been so distant when I was returned a few years later… And then I'd only seen Terri once since I was 9 years old… When would she have had the chance to tell me about any letters? Or even that I wasn't her own daughter? She had no idea where I was even now…

"Austin, god… honey, I'm sorry… if I'd have known you hadn't gotten them…" Susan sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead, light strands of hair falling delicately in front of her face as she looked down at the desk.

I slumped back in my chair and let out a sigh. "Doesn't really matter now, I guess."

She pulled her head up and gazed at me with sad eyes. "Of course it does…"

"Not really, no…" I met her eyes once more. "Let's say you did send letters; you still left me there. You could have come back for me, but you didn't."

"I couldn't, Austin. I told you, there are things you don't understand." The flicker of emotions that had come forward got buried once more, and I thought perhaps, I was more like her than I wanted to admit. She was damn good at pushing away the people she cared about… if she did indeed care about me.

"Then tell me, Susan. What don't I understand?"

She bit her lip and stared at a spot on her desk for a few moments. I idly thought about taking a trick from Raph's book and plopping my feet down on the desk, but decided against it. The desk was higher than a coffee table, and I was wearing a dress. It wouldn't be very ladylike.

"This… this whole situation. It wasn't just for me, Austin. I had to think of you. There are things in my past I'm not especially proud of. Things that are better left unsaid."

_Join the club_, I thought bitterly to myself, but said nothing.

"I wanted to avoid this meeting…" She sighed and looked up finally. "Not because I don't care about you. God, please don't ever think that, Austin. But… it would have been better if you'd just stayed away from me. In my letters I said… well… I guess you're right, it doesn't matter now. It's too late…"

I had no idea what the hell she was trying to tell me, but I didn't want to interrupt. I had the feeling I was about to find out something important. Call it a gut instinct, but the tone of her voice just seemed to imply that she had some big secret that was about to alter my life. …Of course, I also used to think the same thing every time Jeremy said 'We have a problem…' which was quickly followed by a guilty look and an explanation that the toilet was plugged… again. My sense of judgment isn't always the greatest.

"I cut off almost all of the ties with my family when I left you… you have no idea how much that hurt me, Austin. I wanted to come back for you; honestly, I did. But you weren't safe with me." She swallowed hard and I saw a sad look pass through her eyes. "I was putting you in danger just by sending you those letters, but I couldn't bring myself to abandon you completely."

Being safe wasn't my lot in life, apparently. No matter where I'd go, or where I'd been, my destiny was to always be in danger. This little piece of information didn't surprise me as much as it should have. Danger was my middle name, apparently. …Okay, actually it was Clover, and I had Susan to thank for _that_ little embarrassment as well.

"What about my father?" I asked when she didn't seem ready to continue. "Why didn't you leave me with him? Didn't he want me?" A very dark look was my response and I almost recoiled at the combination of hatred and fear in her face. It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't directed at me, but at my father. "That's why, isn't it?" I asked before she had time to form a verbal response. "He's the one I wasn't safe from… why?"

She shook her head as if she didn't want to answer, but the words came out anyway. "He's a dangerous man, Austin... he wouldn't have let me go if…" Her voice trailed off and my mind filled in the pieces.

"He didn't know, did he? He didn't know you were pregnant."

Nodding slowly, she picked up a pen from the desk and began to nervously play with it. "I was fifteen when I got pregnant with you, Austin. I was young and stupid, and I got mixed up with people I shouldn't have… we weren't supposed to…" She shuddered and closed her eyes briefly before continuing. "It was a mistake, Austin. A very bad, very stupid mistake. Knowing what I know now… god… I'm sorry Austin, but I wish you'd never been born."

My mouth dropped open in astonishment. Of all the things she could have said out loud, I hadn't expected _that_ to be one of them. I wasn't sure how to react. It felt like a dead weight had been dropped in my stomach and I gripped the handles of the chair so I wouldn't fall out. I was in shock from the statement, but before I could recover Susan hastily continued.

"Please don't get me wrong, Austin. I loved you; you were my baby, my daughter. But you were born into a world you shouldn't have been, and if your father had been anyone else…" She shuddered again but continued. "You were destined to a life of hell from the moment you were born... I left him before he knew I was pregnant, thank god… but if he ever came looking for me and found you… I couldn't let that happen, Austin. I couldn't let him find you and take you."

The weight had eased up a bit, but my mind was still reeling from her words. There was something she wasn't telling me. A lot, actually. It didn't make sense. Why was my father so dangerous? What scared her so badly that she didn't want anyone to find out?

"Who was he?" I managed weakly. It was all I could think to ask. When she didn't answer, I did instead. "You won't tell me, will you?" I could see the answer in her eyes.

"Austin… when Evan came back to me yesterday, the last thing I thought you'd ask for was your father's name. I got scared… not for me. Not about the publicity. I could care less about that, Austin. If I thought I could protect you, I'd shout it out to the whole world that I have another daughter. But I can't…"

I bit my lip and stared down at the sandals on my feet. She couldn't protect me. With all her money and political power, she couldn't protect me. Ok, now I was starting to get freaked. I'd thought that Adair was the worst of my problems. What the hell was Fate trying to throw at me now? "Why is he dangerous, Susan…? Why does he want me so bad?"

She took a deep breathe and tried to compose herself. "If you don't know already… its better that you don't find out."

My mind flew back to the little blue recipe card and I blinked as things started to fall into place. This had nothing to do with an abusive or possessive boyfriend.

"It's because I'm a Sifter, isn't it?"

Susan's head shot up from where it had been examining the spot again. "Where did you hear that?" Her face had paled slightly, but her eyes were bright and searching.

"It's true, then? I am?"

"I… no. I don't know." She looked confused, and I could tell it wasn't feigned. "I've never heard that term…"

"Well, what term _have_ you heard? What the hell is going on, Susan. What the fuck am I?" There was a desperate tone to my voice, and I wondered what I'd do if she didn't tell me. She knew something, but I couldn't force it out of her. And I couldn't threaten anymore to go public, because whatever it was she was hiding was hidden for good reason.

"Austin, please… I can't tell you anymore than that. I don't understand it all myself, and I don't want you to go looking for trouble. Please… I've stayed away from you to keep you safe. I'll give you anything you want, Austin… just please… no more questions."

"But…" I wanted to ask more, but something was stopping me from speaking. That something happened to be a shimmering form floating to the right of my mother. Devon. Devon, oh thank god, Devon. A rush of confidence and relief swept through me that I hadn't even realized was gone. Devon was back. I wanted to jump for joy. I wanted to laugh and call him names and tell him never to frighten me like that again. Years of habits didn't die very easily though, and I instinctively looked away from him, back to Susan and nodded my head slowly, but the corner of my mouth twitched in a smile.

"Austin…" She said softly, not noticing my sudden mood shift. "Tell me what I can do for you."

I didn't respond right away, and Devon took the chance.

"We need to talk, Austin…" His voice was soft and kind, and nothing like the last time I'd heard him. I chanced a glance at his face, but he was closely guarding his emotions. From what I could tell though, he seemed rather… gentle… subdued, almost. "I'll come back when you're alone… but please hurry… I have things I need to tell you."

The tone of his voice gave me pause, and I wondered if he'd come back to deliver more bad news. If so, he could go to hell, because I was just about at my limit for the week. …I wouldn't tell him that though, because dammit, I'd missed him.

I finally looked back to Susan and nodded slowly. My mind was racing with questions, but I didn't know where to start, and I wasn't sure I wanted the answers anyway. She was right. I was probably better off not knowing; besides, I had a feeling that any answers she could give me would only confuse me further. Now that I knew what Devon hadn't wanted me to find out from Susan, maybe he'd fill me in on what she hadn't said. He probably knew a hell of a lot more than Susan anyway. And if he was ready to tell me things…

"Okay…" I said softly. "Okay, no more questions." She breathed a sigh of relief and I stood slowly. "I don't want anything else from you, Susan. If you want me to sign the damn papers, I will, but I think you know that I'm not going to tell anyone about us."

"I… I don't think that will be necessary…" She looked tired and worn; she looked a hell of a lot older than her 39 years. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"

I started to shake my head, then stopped. Was there anything I wanted from her? True, she'd abandoned me for my own good… but I still felt cheated somehow. It felt superficial to ask her for anything… but… maybe there was something…

I sat back down in the chair and thought for a moment, then nodded. "Well… there's one thing you might do for me…"

* * *

I'd left her office in a daze, and it hadn't worn off by the time I reached the park. I couldn't go home yet; I had to find a nice quiet place to talk to Devon, and oddly enough I found myself drawn to the same spot I'd been only a couple nights ago. I had difficulty, but I finally managed to climb the tree with only a few scrapes on my knees. I also managed to flash a jogger as he ran along the path near the tree, but that was my own damn fault. Sundresses really aren't the best for climbing trees, especially when you're only wearing a white thong underneath. 

I settled myself into the little crook in the tree and smiled at the memory it brought back. Okay, so the evening hadn't ended in the greatest way possible, but it had still been a good date.

"Devon?" I asked quietly. There was a soft shimmer in front of me, and he appeared, sitting down cross-legged on a branch a few feet away. The sight was actually a little unnerving. In all the years he'd been appearing, I'd never quite gotten used to the way he floated around. If he'd had a physical body, he'd either fall out of the tree from trying to sit like that, or end up straddling the branches in an uncomfortable way.

"Hey, Austin…"

I smiled at him in the dimming light of the early evening. "Long time, no see."

"Yah…" Devon absently rubbed the back of his neck in a guilty gesture and returned my soft smile. "Sorry about that… but I needed time to think…"

"Look, Devon… what I said before. I didn-"

He cut me off with a wave of his hand. "No, you meant it. Don't try to smooth it over Austin, I know you too well. I deserved it though. You were right."

"No!" I protested a bit too quickly.

"Austin… if there's anything we've learned in the past few days, it's that you don't need me." I stared at him in surprise, shaking my head slightly, but he continued as if he hadn't seen me. "I was wrong, Austin." He sighed deeply and seemed to think a bit before going on. "There are things I need to tell you… before…"

I tried to think of something to say, but couldn't. He'd come back to tell me goodbye… that was why he was here. After sixteen years, he was leaving me for good… I didn't want to believe it, but I could see it written all over his face, and in what he hadn't said.

"Fate is a funny thing, Austin… every person can shape their own destiny… you should have been free to choose. I took that away from you, and you can't even imagine how sorry I am for that…"

"Devon…"

"Please, just listen… I have so much I need to explain. I wanted you to be happy Austin. It tore me up to watch you in all that pain when you were brought back home… I wanted to make it easier on you… I had to. So I broke the rules, and I changed Fate. I didn't want you to deal with the grief of losing me in such a traumatic way… so I appeared to you, to prove that your brother was still alive spiritually. I thought it would make your life easier, Austin. I didn't know it would fuck things up so bad…"

He sighed and paused, looking down at a little caterpillar crawling on one of the tree leaves. "Sometimes They allow us glimpses of how things would have been different. When I saw what would have happened to you… I hated myself…"

"What…?" I couldn't bring myself to ask, but I knew he'd understand what I wanted to know.

"You would have been in hell, Austin… for a while. It would have taken you a long time, but you would have gotten better… the pain would have faded, and you would have gone on with your life… When you turned 14, you would have run away from home, and made your way back to California… Jason would have taken you in again, and right now you'd be happily married to little Jimmy Tenner." He smiled softly. "You'd be expecting your first child in December…"

It was weird, having him tell me how my life could have gone. I could see flashes of it in my mind, and I wondered if it was my imagination, or if destiny was allowing me to glimpse what might have been. Devon's smile faded quickly though, and he continued speaking. "That's what should have happened… and I took it all away from you. I'm so sorry, Austin… I had no idea. I thought I was saving you pain, but I only caused more. If I could go back in time and change it all… I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"I wouldn't want that." I said softly. He looked up at me with surprise in his eyes, and I shook my head. "Nobody can change the past Devon… what happened, happened… and I like where I'm at now… Yah, my life is going to hell at the moment… but…"

"But you're happy." He finished for me.

I nodded. "Yah… I'm happy."

He stared at me for a few moments then slowly smiled. "Raph is a good guy… You two are well matched."

"Even though he's not human?" I asked cheekily.

"Because he's not human."

I grinned back at him, and we let the silence sit between us for awhile. It was starting to get late, and I'd need to get home soon, but that meant Devon would leave, and I wanted to delay it as long as possible. It was strange… it didn't feel like goodbye, even though I knew it was.

"Will I ever see you again?" I finally asked quietly.

He bit his lip and looked at me for a long while before answering. "I'll always be around, Austin... I'll be watching over you from time to time. But… I don't think it's a good idea if I do this…" he gestured to himself. "…anymore. I might pop in from time to time to say hi… but… you don't need me anymore. You haven't needed me for a long time."

I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and tell him that I'd always need him… but I knew I couldn't. Not just for lack of physical presence, but because I knew he was right. As long as I knew he'd be watching over me… that was enough for me.

"You said… you said They give you glimpses…" I started slowly, but he shook his head.

"It doesn't work like that, Austin, so please don't ask. I don't know what's in store for you, and even if I did… I can't interfere anymore." He gave me a wry smile. "I overstepped my boundaries, and They're watching me closely now…"

"What about the prophecy… did you see that?"

I could see the anxiety cross his face, and I knew he'd been hoping I wouldn't ask. "I can't really-"

"Please, Devon… tell me as much as you can. What the hell is a Sifter? I know you know."

He shook his head again, but opened his mouth to speak. "I pray to god you never find out what a Sifter is. I do know, and I'm not going to tell you. Please, Austin, trust me in this."

"Dev-"

"No." The sudden stubbornness in his voice was something I was familiar with, and I knew I shouldn't push my limits. I hesitated, and he took the opportunity to continue speaking. "Don't go looking for answers, Austin. The search for those answers will lead you to the last place you should ever go."

"My father…?"

He nodded solemnly. "Susan was right. He's dangerous, and you need to stay as far away from him as possible."

"But if I _knew_ what a Sifter was…"

"It wouldn't change anything. Or it would change everything." He sighed and looked at me with such compassion, I almost felt bad for wanting to know. "I've tried to teach you to be a decent person, Austin. Your heart is good, and I don't think anything could ever change that… but… you know the saying. Power corrupts… And I fear what would become of you if the powers of the Sifter were awakened."

I wanted to ask more, to pry into his mind and make him tell me everything he knew. But there was a warning in his tone that frightened me.

"I'm going to give you a sound piece of advice, Austin. Don't tell _anyone_ you're a Sifter. If anyone asks, you tell them you don't know what a Sifter is. If they call you something else, go along with it. There are people who would kill you simply because you exist."

"I don't understand…"

"I know, and I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more, but it would only make you more curious. I know how your mind works, Austin, and that's why it scares me. Promise me… promise me you won't go looking for answers."

"I can-"

"Promise me, Austin."

"…I promise…"

He let out a sigh of relief and leaned back. "One more thing before I go, Austin. The prophesy. There's something you need to know."

I sat up a bit straighter. Maybe he'd tell me something helpful after all.

"David is a very powerful prophet, but his prophecies are flawed, just as are all prophecies. There are two kinds of prophecies, Austin. Those that come from what some would call demons, and those that come from angels. 'Demons' and 'Angels' are just two terms for creatures that come from realms beyond your understanding. The line between good and bad isn't nearly so straight as some would like to think. Not all demons are bad, and not all angels are good, do you understand?"

I nodded, thinking I was following along pretty well. "Kind of like yin-yang theory, or whatever it is?"

He nodded, smiling. "Yes. Now… these other realms have their own language, and only those who live in our world, but have the blood of the other realm in their veins know how to speak it. And it's only in those languages that prophecies are given… and that's where the problem arises."

Devon paused and thought for a moment. "Think of these prophecies as sort of like the Bible."

"…The Bible?" I asked in disbelief. "I've never _read_ the Bible."

"That doesn't matter. What I mean is... think about how many different translations of the Bible there are. Hundreds, right? Maybe more. And the variations between them range from a simple spelling difference, to an entirely different verse structure, to a completely different meaning, depending on who wrote them. Understand? But they all came from one source, written in foreign language. That's how the prophecy works. Ten prophets could have been given the same words David was given, and they all would have come up with ten different interpretations."

"So…" I started slowly. "What you're saying… is that instead of a Sifter… I could be a Blender. Or maybe a KitchenAid."

He glared at me. "This is serious, Austin."

"Sorry."

"Are you finished?" I bit my lip and nodded, holding back a smile. "Good. Now… where was I?"

"Ten little prophets."

That earned me another glare, but he continued anyway. "My point is, I know you're not going to get rid of that little piece of paper, but you shouldn't dwell on it, because it might not be accurate."

"Do _you_ know what the actual prophecy was?" I asked, not expecting him to actually know.

He paused and I could see the truth pass through his eyes.

"…you know. You dick! You know, and you're not going to tell me!"

"I can't interfe-"

"Oh, that's not fair! C'mon, Devon! You _have_ to tell me!"

"Austin, please… I _can't_."

"Wait… _how_ do you know? You're not a demon or an angel."

"Austin, drop it. Please. I've said too much already."

I grumbled to myself and sat back against the trunk of the tree glaring at him. "You're a pain in my ass."

"I was. That's Raph's job now." I flipped him off, but he just laughed it away. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be getting home? That boy's stamina impresses even me."

"You were watching!"

"…well, yah! How often do you see a girl and a turtle going at it?"

"You perv, I'm your sister!"

"Niece, technically. And it's not like I'm all that interested in what _you_ look like. Gay, remember?"

"You're still a perv."

He gave me a grin, knowing I wasn't really mad at him. "Hey, Austin… you take care of yourself, ok? I'll be checking in on you from time to time."

The amused expression fell from my face, and I shook my head. "Do you really have to go?"

"Yah… I'm sorry, Austin… really, I am." I knew he was referring to more than just leaving.

"I guess you're forgiven." I said softly and gave him a small smile. "Hey, Devon?"

"Yah?"

"I love you."

The shimmering form of my dead brother started to fade from view, but I could see the smile on his face. "Love you too, Munchie." His words seemed to echo in the evening air, and I realized with a shiver that it was already getting dark. It had to be close to 8:00pm by now, and Raph was probably getting pissed…again.

I took a last long look at where Devon had been, and slowly climbed down from the tree, dropping unceremoniously onto the thick grass beneath me. I had thought I would feel empty, but I didn't. Yes, there was something missing… but it wasn't painful. It was like a bittersweet memory that I'd always carry with me. Devon wasn't gone, not really. He'd always be around, whether I could see him or not. That thought gave me comfort.

It only took me a few minutes to find a payphone, and not having any change I made a collect call to my apartment. I hoped Raphael wouldn't let the machine pick up. Of course… I hoped he was still _in_ the apartment, and not out on some mad search to find me. He probably thought I'd had another breakdown or something since I hadn't called earlier.

"Austin!" His voice finally answered and I smiled at how angry he sounded. "Where the hell are you!"

"I'm ok, Raph. I just needed some time to myself. I'm in the park"

"What happened? How the hell did you get to the park?"

"I'll explain what I can later… you wanna come pick me up?" I wrapped my bare arms around myself and cradled the phone to my ear, wishing I'd thought to bring a jacket.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes, which phone you at?"

"You can find me under the tree."

"Which-… from the other night?"

"Yes. I'll be waiting for you."

"Austin… are you alright?"

Was I alright? My mind raced over the last week. I'd fallen down a manhole, had a small breakdown in the sewers, played strip poker with a mutant turtle who was _already_ naked, gotten in a life-altering fight with my dead brother, contacted the mother who abandoned me as a child, gone on a date with said mutant turtle, learned that the man who imprisoned me as a child is taking up old habits, ended up sleeping with the turtle, learned of the cryptic prophecy that possibly foretells the taking of my life, had a _large_ breakdown in my apartment, learned that my father is a powerfully dangerous man who would probably kill me if he knew what I was, and also that there is some hidden power inside of me that causes fear in the hearts of those that have already died… and to top it all off, I'd fallen in love. …Was I alright?

I smiled into the phone. "I think I'm going to be just fine, Raph. Now come pick me up."

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes:** Again, I apologize for taking so long. The dialogue was incredibly hard to hammer out in this chapter, but I think I finally got it. Hopefully. (crosses fingers). Yes, there are a lot of unanswered questions in this fic. …Yes, they all have answers. No, I will not tell them to you now. I was hoping to end this chapter with the readers just as confused as poor Austin, and I think it worked… I know I confused myself a couple times and had to go back and re-write a few paragraphs. 

And now I will give you the warning you probably didn't want to hear. Character Deat-… oh wait. Sorry, wrong warning. (ahem) The fic will be ending soon. …as in like… 1 or 2 chapters. Unless something comes up that I realize I just HAVE to address before the end… then yah. Ending soon. Some of you may not be happy with the ending. Some of you may love it. And that's all I'll say about that.

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Buslady Of SoCal :** Yes, Raph is rather protective, isn't he? Gotta love a guy like that… I'd like to think that at some point he'd feel secure enough to admit he's fallen for her, but I just don't see it happening anytime soon. Yah, he may know it, and she may know it, and the entire world may know it… but admitting it is a completely different thing… we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

**Isis-Lament:** I am in love with the TMNT fandom fans. They are just so awesome. I've never felt more welcome in a fandom than I have here! I love it! (grins)

The little teabag scene was something that I've caught myself doing as well. Usually I find myself losing the argument with inanimate objects… pathetic, really. Heheh.

So…. Do you think I kept Austin out of enough trouble in this chapter? (winkwink). Looks to me like she's going to be heading into more trouble in the sequel, doesn't it? Poor girl. I think I'm going to try to keep at least two or three chapters ahead during the next one, so I can go back and change things if I need to before posting. I've caught myself doing that in this fic, wishing I'd written something differently from a previous chapter, but unable to go back and change it now…. Oh well. :)

**Reinbeauchaser:** I'm still not sure whether or not Austin will reveal the sexually abused part of her past to Raph. I quite honestly, am not sure how he'd react at this stage in their relationship. Later on, I think he'd be able to take it better, but it's not something she likes to talk about or remember, so perhaps it will stay buried for a while. In spite of her best efforts, she knows she's fallen for him now, and she's trying to accept it. I don't think everything will be wine and roses from here on out, but at least she's willing to give it a shot.

**RainySunshine:** Yah… I feel sort of bad for torturing Austin so much.. but.. it's only because I really love her… (snuggles Austin) Okay, so it's a funny way of showing love…

And as for that guy… well… there were many actually, hence the 'faceless' part. To Austin, it didn't matter what they looked like. They were all the same, and it merged into one image for her. They were guards, though, and most of them are dead in the current timeline of the story.

**Reluctant Dragon:** Good guess, but unfortunately Bill isn't Austin's father. (Although I _had_ considered it at one point, but my brainstorming ultimately took me down another path.)

As for the faceless man, he represented a few different guards that took part in the abuse/rape.

(grins) Thanks again for the amusing review! I love reading your mishmash of comments. :) They make me happy.

**Echo Hunter:** You're forgiven. ;) I'm just happy knowing that you're still enjoying the story. And I think I understand you when it comes to being single. (sigh) Real men just don't stand a chance. You should see my long sad history of fandom crushes. 80 percent of them haven't been human…

**kaya lizzie:** Yay! I was aiming for a creepy/spooky feeling on the dream sequence, and I think it worked out nicely. And actually, Adair wasn't the one raping Austin, although what he did was worse, in my opinion. He knew it was going on and didn't do anything to stop it, because he thought it might 'jolt' her supernatural powers into overdrive or some crazy shit like that. The acts themselves were committed by guards who were supposed to be watching the Level B inhabitants. Either way, he's still an evil bastard that needs to die a horrible, painful death. (stabs Adair and screams in a really bad accent. "I keel you wit' my mind! …or uh… this knife. Whatever.")

**FairDrea:** (giggles and offers to make you a new sandwich). And congrats on the softball game. ;)

Ack. I don't know where to start responding to your review, so I'm just gonna say "THANKS!" and do some squee-ing of my own and grin like an idiot. Your words are much appreciated! Thankyou thankyou thankyou!

…The Xander thing didn't work, by the way. (Snatches Raph back). Mine! …or.. actually… Austin's! …and I don't think she'll be willing to share. Hehehe.

**danceingfae:** Hahaha! And now you know what happened to Devon! Sort of. He's back! …and gone again. But he still has a large part to play in the whole Misadventures series, if I ever manage to get it all written…. Which may take me years at the pace I'm going. I mean… hell… this story only covers a week in Austin's life, and it's taken me a couple months to write. Can you believe that when I started out, it was only going to be a small 4 or 5 chapter story? … yah, neither can I.

**The REAL Cheese Monkey:** Yah, I think last chapter was one of my favorites, although this one is quickly catching up. But honestly, I think that's because I know what's going on behind the scenes, so it was actually a lot of fun to write, despite all my complaining. Hehehe. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter!

**Trillian4210:** Heh. It's very funny to hear someone refer to Misadventures as.. well… art. Writing is more of a pastime for me. I don't think I'll ever take it too seriously. :)

As for your guess on the prophecy…. Well, the term 'Sifter' is actually correct, but you were right about the translation issue. (grins) I practically jumped out of my chair and squee'd when I saw your theory, because you were certainly on the right track. 10 points for you! Hehehe.


	19. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin is mine. Mine mine mine mine mine.

**Before the fic Author's Notes: **I am sooooooo incredibly sorry that it took soooooooo incredibly long to get this chapter out. I've been busy (and sick) and I just couldn't find the time or the inspiration to work on this. But I have now, and everything's cool, and this is the last chapter. Wheeeeee. Now, I shall take a break. However. **_Important Sequel News after the fic._** Ok, hope that got your attention.

_FunFact:_The whole 'sifter' thing has been in the background since the very first chapter. Although, I hadn't actually planned on taking Austin's character this far. It was going to be a short fic that originally ended when the turtles escorted her home. Everything involving Jeremy, Susan, the prophecy, and all that jazz, was never meant to be put down on paper.

**Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable**

**Epilogue**

_Italics _are flashback! Yay!

* * *

_Austin peeked out from behind the large oak tree and giggled to herself. Surely, her mother would never think to look for her here! In her four-year-old wisdom, the green-eyed, curly-haired brunette thought she had found the perfect hiding place. Never mind that it was the same hiding place she always chose, and that her mother had managed to find her every time before. This time was different! This time, mommy wouldn't find her. She was certain of it. _

_The weekends when daddy was away on business were the weekends Austin loved best. Mommy was always happiest when daddy wasn't around. So was Austin, because that meant she got mommy all to herself. Devon wasn't around as much anymore either, and she only saw her brother at dinner and sometimes on Sundays now. He was always at school, or doing homework, or staying over at his friend's houses. It was ok though, because she had mommy to herself. _

_Days like this were the ones Austin wished would never end. The sun shone down through the leaves of the tree and the grass sparkled with its rays. She was barefoot, happily wiggling her toes in the dirt that surrounded the trunk of the oak tree and sneaking peeks around to look toward the house. She couldn't see mommy yet, so her hiding place must have been really good this time._

_Hands grabbed Austin from behind and she screamed and laughed as mommy tickled her. She'd snuck up from behind! That wasn't fair! The wriggling little girl slipped out of her mother's hands and made a beeline for the house, her short little legs carrying her as fast as possible. She was no match for Terri though, and Austin found herself being picked up and twirled around. She shrieked in delight as the world spun around her, her brown curls bouncing around in front of her eyes. _

_With a laugh, Terri fell down cross-legged into the grass, pulling her daughter with her. Austin's giggles quieted and she looked up at her mommy. _

"_You found me!" She smiled brightly, a small gap in her teeth where she'd lost one just the day before._

"_I did!" Terri grinned and leaned forward, rubbing her nose with Austin's. "You sure had a good hiding spot, didn't you?"_

_Austin nodded solemnly, in that way that only a four-year-old can. "Yes, I did. It was good." _

"_It certainly was! Would you like to hide again?" _

_Pursing her lips in a thoughtful manner that seemed beyond her years, Austin shook her head. "No… I'm done hiding."_

"_Oh, you are? Well, what do you want to do now, then?" _

"_I wanna…" She bit her lip in a pensive manner, her face finally lighting up when she reached a suitable pastime in her mind. "…eat ice cream!"_

_Terri laughed and tugged on a brown curl. "I see. And where should we go to get this ice cream?" _

"_Freezy Treats!" The soft serve ice cream shop was owned by their neighbor, and Austin was practically the mascot there. 'Twistee in a cup!' was her dessert of choice. Which, in normal speech, was a small half-and-half cone turned upside down into a bowl. It was the only way Austin would eat her ice cream._

_Terri looked thoughtfully at her daughter. "I don't know… You had ice cream yesterday." _

"_Oh." Austin licked her lips and thought some more. "But I had a good hiding spot!"_

"_And you think you deserve ice cream for that?" _

_The little girl nodded vigorously. "It was really good." _

"_Hmmm… I suppose you do have a point." _

"_Yes, I do." _

"_Well… what are the magic words?" _

_Sighing heavily, as if she was making a huge sacrifice by asking, Austin said, "Can I pleeeeeeease have ice cream?" _

"_Yes, you may." _

_Austin held up her small fists in triumph and gave a cry for joy. _

_Standing up, Terri held out her hand for her daughter to take. "C'mon you little monkey. Let's get you cleaned up, and then we'll go get you some ice cream."_

_Grinning happily, the little green-eyed girl and her mother walked hand-in-hand back toward the house. _

"_Mommy?" _

"_Yes, baby?" _

"_I'm glad you're my mommy." _

_Terri smiled down and squeezed her Austin's hand gently. "I'm glad I'm your mommy too." _

* * *

Just as I set the last of my freshly folded laundry into my suitcase, the sharp ringing of the telephone echoed through the otherwise silent apartment. I could count on one hand the number of people who might be calling me at this moment, and I wasn't sure I wanted to talk to most of them. 

I hadn't spoken to Raphael since last night when he had dropped me off here at home. He'd wanted to come up and stay the night again, but I had wanted to put my foot down and send him home. We compromised; he came up for a few hours… then went home. When asked why I hadn't come back right away and about what had happened between myself and Susan, I had simply said, "I'm not ready to talk about it." But then I'd smiled and kissed him, and assured him everything was going to be ok. Even if he didn't believe me, I think he respected me enough to let it go. But he made me promise to call him if I needed him for any reason.

About an hour after he left, I'd gotten a call from Jeremy. _That_ had been fun. It wasn't the only time he'd called yesterday. Apparently, the first time was while I was at my meeting with Susan. That, in itself, wouldn't have been bad, except for the fact that Raphael had answered the phone. Seeing as how Jeremy is extremely protective of me, and Raph is shaping up to be overly possessive… let's just say I'm glad I wasn't home for that conversation. From what I could piece together when Jeremy wasn't chastising me, there had been yelling, cursing, accusations, and a hell of a lot of insults from both sides. It had been a clash of alpha males, and I was the mate they were fighting over. I'd listened to Jeremy rant and rave at me for a good twenty minutes over my choice in bedmates, before finally telling him to mind his own business. …that hadn't gone over well either. It was almost an hour later when I'd finally convinced him that I was going to be safe with Raph; and then I'd spent a little while chatting with Ivy, promising that I'd visit her soon.

I closed the suitcase and set it on the floor, then reached over to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Austin? Oh my god, Austin!"

Smiling, I sat down on the bed and leaned back against the headboard. This was the one person I'd wanted to talk to.

"Hey, Doris."

"Austin! I… You…. Oh my god!"

I laughed as I listened to the sputtering woman on the other end of the line. "Did you get my extended vacation request?"

"But… I can't accept it, Austin!"

"Well, my plane leaves in a few hours, so I really need that vacation time."

"That's not what I meant! The money, Austin! How can you afford it?" Her voice was practically frantic, and I almost felt sorry for her.

"Is it not enough? I'm sure I can get a little more if you really ne-"

"Not enough? Are you crazy, Austin! It's three times what I'd thought I'd get!"

"Good, then it's settled. We'll hammer out the paperwork when I get back."

"But, Austin…"

"You said you wanted to sell The Celestial, Doris. And I happen to be interested in buying it."

"But… _how_?"

How could I afford it? Easy. I have a mother that's worth billions, and I only made one small request. Ok… so technically the purchase of The Celestial Café and the building it resided in wasn't a small request. I hadn't seriously thought she'd do it for me, but within a few minutes she'd made some calls, and the offer was presented to Doris this morning in my name.

I laughed again. "Does it really matter? I didn't do anything illegal, so just accept the damn offer and then move your ass to Florida. Louie will be happy. He's been trying to get you out of New York for years now."

"Yes, bu-"

"No 'buts', Doris."

"Oh my god, Austin… I can't… I just…" There was a pause, and I could just see her shaking her head in disbelief. When she finally spoke again, her voice was filled with emotion. "I… thank you, Austin. My god… thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet. I'm going to need you to hang around for a while and show me all the ropes. I've never owned a business before."

"You'll be fantastic, Austin… it will be… wow… I just… I can't believe it."

"And about that extended vacation…?"

"Of course! Take as much time as you need, I'll cover your shift myself! God, Austin… thank you…"

There was a few more moments of touching 'thank yous', and when we hung up, I felt remarkably cheerful, despite the fact that I was getting ready to leave. I've never been good at goodbyes, and I'm not sure whether it's due to my lack of experience with meaningful ones, or if I just suck at them. Either way, what I was doing was the coward's way out, and I hated myself for it.

I picked up my suitcase and carried it out into the living area. Setting it down next to the little half wall by the door, I took another look around the flat, and then walked back to the bedroom. My alarm had gone off at 5:30 this morning, and I'd spent six hours cleaning the apartment, doing laundry, and tidying up the bedroom. There were crisp clean sheets on the bed, and all my laundry was folded, or hung up in the closet. Except for what was in the suitcase. I'd packed enough for at least a week or two, but honestly I wasn't sure how long I'd be gone.

There was an envelope sitting on my nightstand with Raphael's name written on it, and I picked it up. Pulling out the letter inside, I re-read it to myself a few times, to make sure I'd said all I wanted to say.

_Raphael, _

_I'm sorry I can't be here when you get this letter. I know I should be saying what I have to say to your face, and you can't imagine how guilty I feel about leaving like this. But there are some things I need to tell you, and I don't know if I'd have the courage to say them to you in person. It's so much easier to write down what I'm feeling, and I pray to god that you'll understand why I have to do it this way. _

_You were right when you said I'd fall for you. Damn you and your arrogant, yet irresistible charm. I can see myself easily clinging to you and that's why I need to get away right now. I've lived my life for someone else, and now that he's gone I need to figure out who I am again. You said you'd give me time, and now I'm asking you to do that._

_There is something I need to do specifically, before I think I can move on. Someone I've ignored for too long, who I realize now deserves better than what I've left her with. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Maybe a week or two, maybe longer. But I'll be back. _

_I want to be with you, and hopefully you'll still want me when I come back. You're going to have to be patient with me, though. Some people carry more baggage than others, and I have an entire freight train's worth. It's going to take time, but I want to make it work. I never thought I'd see myself in this position… wanting to be with someone. But I want to be with you. _

_Please… just give me time. I'll come around, I promise. _

_Love, Austin_

I'd hesitated over how to end the letter. Actually, I'd hesitated over the _entire_ letter. But it had to be written. _Love, Austin_. I cringed slightly as I looked at the words and was tempted to completely re-write the letter. It wasn't 'I love you', and it wasn't a frickin' marriage proposal… so why was I so damn nervous about leaving it like that? Maybe because the only person I'd openly admitted to loving in the past twelve years was Devon. I'd never told Jeremy I loved him. Not once in all the time we were together did I ever speak the word when expressing my feelings for him. _Love, Austin_. It just seemed too… I don't know. Too personal, I suppose. Despite opening up to Raphael, I was still having issues accepting it. It would take time, just as I had written. I needed time, but I did want to love him. _God, I hope he understands that… I hope he realizes how much he means to me_.

Biting my lip, I stared at the letter for a moment longer, then replaced it in the envelope and propped it up against the pillow on my bed. He'd be sure to see it there. Before leaving, he'd promised to check up on me tonight. I knew he'd have no trouble getting into my apartment, and I would leave on the lamp on the nightstand, and the door to the bedroom open. Raph wouldn't miss it, I was sure.

I left the bedroom and headed for my computer desk. The little blue recipe card was sitting on mouse pad, looking for the entire world like… well… a little blue recipe card. Devon and Susan's warnings were still in my head, but I was itching to log onto the internet and see if I could dig up any information on 'Sifters'. I'd managed to distract myself with cleaning all morning though, and pushed the thought out of my head. Before I could be tempted again, I picked up the card and stuffed it into the top left hand drawer of the desk. Giving it a last glance, I shut the drawer and turned away. I'd worry about it when I got back. There was little chance of me forgetting about it, but hopefully by the time I returned, the urge to dig into the prophecy would have passed. Yah, right.

I shook the thought away and grabbed my keys from the kitchen counter. Stepping over to the door, I picked up my suitcase in one hand, and opened the door with the other. I gave the apartment a last glance around and sighed. I didn't know how long it would be until I saw it again, and I hadn't realized how much it had started to feel like home. I would miss it, but this was something I had to do.

With an almost painful effort, I stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind me.

* * *

The taxi pulled up to the craftsman style home around seven that evening. The autumn leaves had just started to fall, and I gazed up at them in wonder. I'd forgotten how beautiful it was here. When I'd walked this path five years ago, I hadn't been interested in taking in the natural surroundings. My focus had been on something completely different. But now I took the time to look. 

A small yellow leaf fluttered down just in front of me and I watched it twist and turn in the light breeze until it settled itself on the path in front of me. There were many more just like it lining the walkway, which I noticed had been recently re-graveled. That wasn't the only change. I looked at the house and smiled softly. The flaking red paint that I remembered had been replaced by a pretty sage green. The cream colored trim was newly restored, and the front porch had been completely rebuilt. But it was still the same house. And it was still the same woman standing on the front porch, her hand clutching at the soft peach blouse she was wearing.

The sun was just starting to set and I picked up my suitcase and stepped boldly toward the house. I hadn't called her to tell her I was coming, or even to ask if it was alright. Hell, I hadn't even been sure that she still lived here. But the mailbox at the end of the drive still said 'Bridger', and the old rusty blue truck that had belonged to Bill still sat to the side of the house.

As I walked toward the porch, the woman slowly descended the steps, a nervous and slightly apprehensive look on her face. Watching her, I felt a tremendous wave of guilt flood through me. This woman had lost her children. Susan wasn't dead, but she obviously didn't want to be a part of her mother's life. Devon had been taken before his time… and then, she'd lost me.

My meeting with Susan the day before had made me realize something important. All these years, I'd thought I'd been alone. I had thought that no one in my family gave a shit about me, least of all Terri Bridger. But nothing that happened to me was her fault. She had sent me to the Institute because she honestly believed that it would help me. And I knew why she hadn't come to visit me. Bill. My 'father'. He hadn't wanted me from the start, and he saw the chance to keep Terri from me and he took it. Yes, I was a little angry that she hadn't had the courage to stick up for me, or for herself… but that had changed. I could see it in the way she moved, and the way she looked. I don't know what caused the change in her, but I'd like to think that it was because I'd run away and she'd realized she'd lost another child… her last child. And if it hadn't been for Bill, she'd still have all of them. Perhaps I was wrong, and her reasons for leaving Bill were completely different. But that's the explanation I would like to believe.

After meeting Susan, and being reminded of how my life with Terri had been… I'd realized that Susan may have given birth to me… but Terri was my mother. She'd been the one to run to me when I returned, crying and laughing and thanking god that I was alive. Not Susan. And even though I'd turned her away five years ago, I was hoping that my mother would still have enough love in her heart for me, and that she wouldn't turn _me_ away now.

I stopped a few feet from her and set down my suitcase on the gravel path. "Mom?" I said softly and found my hands fidgeting nervously against my jeans. I could see the hope in her eyes quickly taking the place of confusion and fear. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, and the love I'd hadn't seen in Susan's face shone through hers instead. It was the love that I'd refused to see five years ago. "Mommy, I'm sorry." The words tumbled from my mouth so quickly that I hardly even realized I'd said them.

I'd thought Raphael had fast reflexes, but they were nothing compared to those of a mother being reunited with her long lost child. Her arms were around me in a split-second, and her hands were running over my hair. I clung to her, feeling the warm moisture of tears on my cheeks; I buried my face against her shoulder and whispered "I'm sorry" over and over.

My mother shushed me quietly and she rocked me in a soft and soothing way until my tears finally ceased. I don't know how long we stayed there, but when she finally pulled away and held me at arm's length to get a good look at me, the sunlight had almost faded and the porch lights illuminated the pathway where we stood.

She ran a finger gently over the skin just below the stitches on my forehead and then she studied the rest of my face before speaking. Her voice was soft and sad, and I could see the concern in her eyes. "Oooh… Austin, baby… what happened to you?"

I knew she wasn't referring to just the sutures. I don't know what she saw in my face, but it was something that Susan hadn't seen. She hadn't wanted to look into my eyes and see the horrors of my life. Yes, she loved me in the only way she could, but it wasn't like this. It had been twelve years since Terri had gotten a good look at me, yet my mother could see the shattered, painful history written in my face.

"Too much…" I choked out, lowering my eyes. I wouldn't tell her… not everything. I'd sugar coat it, and try my best to leave out what I could concerning all the supernatural events. Maybe she'd believe me, maybe she wouldn't. But I couldn't tell her everything. It would break her heart, and I hadn't come here to tear open old wounds. I'd come here to heal them.

She was silent for a moment, and then lifted my chin gently to look into my eyes once more. "I just took some cookies out of the oven… why don't you come inside?" My mother smiled warmly and gestured to the house.

"I like cookies…" was all I could think to say. Laughing tenderly, Terri leaned down and picked up my suitcase, and then took my hand. She led me up the stairs, just as she'd done many years ago. "Mom?" I finally said, just before we stepped through the door.

"Yes?" She turned to look at me again, a hint of nervousness crossing her features. I didn't blame her one bit. She didn't want to lose me again.

"I… I'm glad that you're my mom…" She stared at me in shock for a moment, and then tears welled up in her eyes. But she smiled through them and squeezed my hand lovingly. The words held deeper meaning for both of us now, after all that had happened, and I was surprised that I'd been able to speak them at all.

"I'm glad that I'm your mom too…" she said finally and leaned forward, giving me a soft kiss on the forehead, and then tugging gently at a loose curl with her free hand. The simple gesture brought back a wave of happy memories from warm sunny days, and I knew that it hadn't been a mistake to come back here.

How does that saying go…? 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' Things had definitely changed for us… and yet here we were. Walking hand in hand into my childhood home… just the two of us. The way it once was. It would never be quite the same, I knew that. But it was a start. It was a damn good start.

* * *

The End. For now.

* * *

**After the fic Author's Notes: **Everyone say "awwwwwwwww". Yes, didn't that just get all nice and syrupy sweet there at the end? Originally… the ending was going to be dark and suspenseful, and really really depressing. …I decided to end the fic early on a happy moment, so y'all didn't kill me. And poor Austin… she needs some happy time, don't you think? 

Yes, this is the end of Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable. Hopefully, the sequel should be started within… eh… two or three weeks. Maybe sooner. In the meantime though, I'll be writing a tie-in story that concerns two completely different characters that were never even _mentioned_ in Misadventures. (I posted about this in my LJ, but I'll re-state it here). I am taking two minor characters from two different TMNT-verses, and twisting the hell out of their backgrounds to make it fit in with my story. (Actually, one will be twisted around, the other not very much.) But I think it's going to be a kick-ass idea, and y'all will hopefully love the main female lead in the story. I think she's extreeeeeemely underused, and hell… a LOT of people hardly even KNOW about her. …Which is why it makes it easier for me to twist her around to suit my purposes. Muahahahaha.

Anyway. So look for that within a week or so. (It will probably only be about 3 or 4 chapters long.) And I'm also still trying to figure out a title for the Misadventures sequel, and having a hell of a time doing it. Suggestions are highly encouraged. Even though you have no idea of the basic plot… eh. I'll take all the help I can get. :)

Last but not least. _Pleeeeeeeeeeease_ leave me a review. Even if you've never left one before, and all you can think of is "OMG,msadvntrs is teh awesum!". I'd really appreciate it. And then go do the same for all those other fics you read and don't review on. (Trust me, those authors will absolutely LOVE you for it.)

**Notes to my Reviewers:**

**Reluctant Dragon**:(grins) Yah, I set Susan up to be a real bitch, didn't I? I love messing around with things like that. Just wait til even MORE stuff is revealed in the sequel. Misadventures was just the tip of the iceberg. :) (applauds the mishmash of comments) Hehehe

**Reinbeauchaser:** Oooh, I've been wanting to see War of the Worlds. I'll need to go see it soon. Possibly this week during my days off! I also want to see Batman Begins. I've heard it rocks!

As for the whole Shifter/Sifter thing, it actually is "Sifter". Hmm…. I'll say this about the powers of a Sifter. The term Sifter was actually a slang term that was given to a certain group of individuals with certain powers, and it caught on and stuck. But it's thousands and thousands of years old, and over time the original/correct name for Sifters was lost. …I really should write this stuff down on paper somewhere, because it's all in my head. I have very few handwritten notes… it's all just locked up in my brain and sometimes it's hard to keep straight. : P

**Echo Hunter:** Yah, I almost left it hanging (to be resolved in the sequel!), but decided against it. I didn't want to leave people wondering, and he still has a part to play in the saga before everything is done. So don't you dare think you've seen the last of Devon. ;)

**The REAL Cheese Monkey:** Hehehe, nope! _THIS_ is the last chapter. But don't worry, there will be more coming soon. :)

**Trillian4210: **(sends her thanks out to Gretchen Tanner of Omaha.) Hehehe. I'm glad you liked the dialogue between Austin and Susan! I was afraid it might get too… ridiculous, or not 'real' enough… but I was eventually happy with the way it turned out. And as for the way the prophecy plays out… (evil laughter) I don't think anyone is going to expect it. …Half the time _I_ don't expect it because I'm coming up with some of it on the spot. I think that's the best way to write. Have a general direction, and just basically pull it out of nowhere as you go. …That's probably a bad writing method, but it works for me. :)

**Buslady Of SoCal:** Ooooh, there's DEFINITELY going to be a sequel. …I fear what you guys would do to me if I didn't write one. I'd be sleeping with the light on every night. …Except I sleep during the day, so that kind of ruins _that_ idea…. Ah well. Hope you enjoyed the last bits.

**Dierdre: **(giggles) Don't feel bad, I'm like… what, 3 or 4 chapters behind on your story? I'm a bad person as well. Anyway, I'll pick out the highlights (or in other words, things I feel like responding to) or your review and… uh… respond. Hehehe.

The videos of Austin that Donnie found. Yes. At least one of those will play a role in the sequel… and it will not be pretty. The only reason that Raph hasn't already hunted down Adair and killed him is because… well.. he hasn't seen the video, and he doesn't know Don has it. Raph heard a lot, but missed a few critical bits of information.

"_And speaking of breathless... I will now forever see Raph as a sexy hunk of turtle meat. It's all your fault."_

You're welcome. :)

Yes, there will be more Miracles in the sequel. In fact… (looks around to make sure no one else can hear) The sequel will be written third person so I can jump between characters a lot easier. And some of the Miracles actually will make an appearance. Yay for Miracles!

Ahhh, Austin's father. Yes, he has not entered the scene yet. He will though. (grins) Someday. (I've stated to people before, at the rate I'm going and the story arch I have planned in my head, it's going to take me 10 years to write it all down. Sometime during those 10 years, Austin's father will make an appearance. Heh. And I have side stories and back stories planned for some other characters we'll be meeting as well. Because… well… Raph can't be the only one with a girlfriend, now can he? And Austin happens to know a _lot_ of freaks…) Something tells me that sooner or later a few of her friends will meet the guys… but that might just be crazy talk.

**RainySunshine:** You're going to have to wait to find out about Austin's father. Muahahahaha! That comes into play later on in the story. But more _will_ be revealed having to do with Susan and the mysterious father. (She was conceived by the midichlorians! …Oh. Oops, sorry. Star Wars flashback.)

And… coffee… sweet precious nectar of the gods… I want it! I need it! I have to have it! No, I'm not a coffeeholic! …Don't look at me like that. I could stop anytime I wanted! I just… choose not to…

**kaya lizzie:** Eh, that's ok. A late review is better than no review at all:) (grins) I think my favorite line in this whole story was the Sifter/Blender/KitchenAide one. I just couldn't' stop laughing while I was writing it… It was just so "Austin", if you ask me. Although the "You're just… weird" comes in a very close second.

Anyway, thanks for the review, and I'm definitely going to take my time plotting out the next story, and pacing myself. The last thing I want to do is burn out on you guys.

**Chibi Rose Angel:** (grins) I'm glad you enjoyed the story! I hope the last chapter met with your approval. I know I left a LOT of loose ends hanging, but they will get tied up sooner or later, I promise!

First, yes, April and Casey will have a slightly larger role in the sequel. Probably not huge, but a good deal more than Misadventures, where they had like… walk on cameo appearances that ended up on the cutting room floor. Heh.

As for the prophecy and how things will turn out… The funny thing about that is, I've dropped SOOOO many hints either in my author's notes, reviewers notes, or on the LiveJournal, that if someone were desperate enough, they _might_ be able to piece together a lot of what I have planned. But then again, it might just look like one big confusing mess that would drive that person insane. I'm surprised I haven't driven _myself_ insane yet, with all the stuff that's running through my head right now.

Anyway, thanks for the review, and hope you stick through to the end! …Which as I pointed out to Dierdre… will probably take 10 years. :)


End file.
